Northside proposes National Aquatics Center
Northside ISD is proposing to build a world-class swim stadium with funding from the Bexar County visitor tax. The stadium, along with the existing Northside Natatorium and a planned warm-up and diving pool, has been dubbed the San Antonio National Aquatics Center.
The San Antonio National Aquatics Center would be the only facility of its kind in the central United States and would attract regional and national swimming competitions, as well as thousands of tourists to the Alamo City. Northside's proposal has been endorsed by the national governing body for the sport of swimming, USA Swimming, which has promised the venue a minimum of five events per year.
The Bexar County visitor tax is a tax on hotel rooms and rental cars and was first passed in 1999 to build the AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs. Bexar County voters will go the polls May 10 to decide whether to extend the visitor tax to generate funding for the swim stadium, along with dozens of other sports, cultural, and public improvement projects.