The San Antonio Missions' long‑awaited downtown ballpark will not open in 2028 as originally envisioned. City Manager Erik Walsh confirmed in a recent memo to council members that the target opening has been pushed to April 2029.
Financing hurdles reshape the timeline
Walsh cited a combination of financing shortfalls, lingering construction complications and a tight labor market as the primary drivers behind the shift. The delay reflects the difficulty of securing the final commitments needed to keep the $160 million project on track.
Under the revised schedule, ground‑breaking is now slated for the summer of 2027. That timeline also pushes back the city’s bond issuance to 2025, giving officials additional time to line up the remaining capital.
The financing plan calls for roughly 86 percent of the budget to come from the Missions organization itself — through equity, ticket revenue and other team‑generated dollars — while the city and county would contribute the remaining increment through tax‑increment financing. The ownership group, known as Designated Bidders, has already pledged $39 million, including a $5 million boost in 2024.
To bridge a short‑term gap, the San Pedro Creek Development Authority secured a $10 million loan from the county in April 2024. That loan is intended to keep construction moving while the broader bond package is finalized.
When completed, the stadium will hold about 7,500 fans and sit next to the San Pedro Creek Culture Park in the heart of downtown. The venue is being designed with modern amenities that the aging Wolff Stadium, opened in 1994, currently lacks, such as clubhouses and permanent field lighting.
Weston Urban, the private developer behind a $1 billion mixed‑use project adjacent to the ballpark, plans to begin construction in early 2027, preceding the stadium’s opening. The company’s work will add retail, office and residential space that could reshape the surrounding neighborhood.
The city has scheduled two public input sessions — on August 6 and August 20, 2024 — to gather ideas for repurposing Wolff Stadium after the Missions relocate. Those meetings will help shape the future of a site that has served the community for three decades.