Alamo City advancement
New $60 million center with arena and food hall to dock at Port San Antonio
A $60 million innovation center — including an esports arena, a food hall, and the new home of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology — is on tap for Port San Antonio.
On Thursday, August 13, the board of directors of Port San Antonio approved the 130,000-square-foot project. Construction is set to begin this summer, with completion scheduled for early 2022.
Highlights of the innovation center include:
- A 2,500-seat technology arena for esports competitions, concerts, product launches, training programs, conventions, and conferences.
- The new, larger home of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology. Since 2017, the museum has occupied a 16,000-square-foot former military chapel on the Port San Antonio campus.
- Classrooms and meeting spaces.
- A research and development lab for tech companies and research groups.
- A full-scale food hall.
- A 24-hour electronic gaming area.
Tempe, Arizona-based Sundt Construction is the general contractor, and San Antonio-based RVK Architects is leading the design work. Once it’s completed, Los Angeles-based ASM Global will manage the center.
The port’s president and CEO, Jim Perschbach, says the project will fuel job growth and overall economic growth in San Antonio.
“The innovation center will be a venue that is exciting, as it inspires, teaches, and helps people connect with new career and business opportunities — from global companies to San Antonio’s small business owners who need a place to develop their ideas and market them to the world,” Chris Alderete, chair of the Port San Antonio board, says in a release.
The 1,900-acre Port San Antonio campus, just east of Joint Base San Antonio, encompasses a large portion of the former Kelly Air Force Base. Currently, more than 14,000 people work for employers in industries like aerospace, cybersecurity, defense, and robotics.
