The future of the San Antonio Missions continues to stir local uncertainty as plans for a potential downtown stadium develop. Alfredo Casas, owner of Tamalitos Mexican Restaurant, located just a stone's throw from Nelson W. Wolff Stadium, is among the concerned. "After the game or before the game, people come in and we get a lot of business," Casas told KENS 5. He fears that the relocation could spell a downturn for his establishment and others in the vicinity. A sentiment echoed across the community where businesses benefit from the foot traffic and communal spirit the games engender. The City Council of San Antonio is slated to discuss this matter in a B-Session meeting on August 14, 2024.
While some local residents like Judy Hernandez, treasure the community atmosphere brought forth during game days, Casas has anchored his concerns on economic outcomes. "They give a lot of business, a lot of work to people, so that's how we get the support." With the Missions pondering a new home, his sentiment reveals a deeper communal worry. Hernandez mentioned to KENS 5, "You can be outside and you just hear the game, you hear the cheering and, you know, it's just something you kind of enjoy from a far for us."
The conversation about the downtown stadium has not only been discussed among locale proprietors and residents but also extends to municipal leaders. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai communicated their intentions to Major League Baseball to fund and build the new stadium, as mentioned in a letter highlighted by KENS 5, though they noted it as nonbinding. Amidst these unfolding deliberations, Melissa Cabello Havrda, City Council member for District 6, which includes Wolff Stadium, has vowed to keep the Edgewood community's prospects a priority, stating, "As discussions progress about possibly building a new stadium downtown, I am committed to ensuring that the future of the Edgewood community remains central to these conversations."
Yet, the immediate future of the Wolff Stadium area remains cloudy as definite plans have yet to coalesce. KENS 5 reported that the Missions got new ownership back in November 2022, and economic development plans previously promised have not come to fruition. Cabello Havrda's commitment becomes the bedrock of anticipation for what may be a "fresh opportunity" for the locality. According to News 4 San Antonio, no official statement has been made by representatives for the area regarding the potential move, and County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, as well as Cabello-Havrda, have not provided further information.
