SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff is urging talks between the city, county, UTSA and the San Antonio Missions to relocate the team to the downtown area.
Wolff said he has been impressed by the crowds and excitement downtown for the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome.
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Wolff said it also occurred to him the Missions do not have their own stadium and the popularity of Wolff Stadium, where the Missions currently play, is declining.
Wolff is proposing having both teams play in a new stadium that could be built downtown, perhaps next to the Alamodome or at Hemisfair Park.
"I guarantee you, we'd pack that thing every night if it was downtown," Wolff said.
However, he said it would take the cooperation of the city of San Antonio, Bexar County, the San Antonio Missions and UTSA.
Wolff said preliminary talks are underway, "to see what the possibilities are."
He said there is interest in considering it, but to actually do it, "we're a long way from that yet."
Wolff has made no secret of his lifelong passion for baseball. He was the mayor when Wolff Stadium opened in 1994.
"For the first five years, we had the largest attendance in the Texas League. Now, we're down at the bottom," Wolff said.
He said the facility has been hurt by its surroundings as neighboring industrial plants shut down and the closing of Kelly AFB.
"It would a great opportunity for downtown San Antonio and a great opportunity to increase attendance," said Jim White, spokesman for the San Antonio Missions. The team leases the current stadium from the city.
Wolff said the existing 40-acre site was purchased for pennies on the dollar back then for the $10 million stadium.
"There's a lot of value sitting there if the city were to sell it. They would get a pretty good chunk of money," Wolff said.
He said he estimates perhaps $16 million plus naming rights worth a few million more that could be used to build a $25 million stadium downtown.
Wolff said the cost to taxpayers would be "minimal."
Besides the potential cost, what would happen to the existing stadium that is less than 20-years-old.
"You could give it to the school districts, have all their tops games there," Wolff said. "Won't make any money off of that, but it's a possibility."
But some Wolff Stadium neighbors like Manuel Galvan said he does not see the need to spend any money on another stadium, "just like they did the Alamodome and then move to the AT&T Center."
He said the better option would be to promote other events at Wolff Stadium that would attract locals and tourists alike.