San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) swung for the fences when local developer Weston Urban and the minor league San Antonio Missions baseball team approached the district last year about buying a 2.3-acre parcel of land needed to build a new downtown ballpark. Initially, in exchange for the parcel, SAISD asked for a new parking garage, $45 million to build a new Advanced Learning Academy and a $400,000 annual stipend. Officials also sought 1,250 units of affordable housing in the district to offset declining enrollment and offset displacement from the low-income Soap Factory apartments, which are being torn down to make way for the ballpark development.
