Spurs Intend to Stay in Arena

The San Antonio Spurs have decided to continue playing in the Convention Center Arena for the next 10 years, owner Angelo Drossos says.

Drossos announced last week that the team had signed a 10-year lease with the city to continue playing at the arena, where Spurs games have been held for the past 12 years.

The home of the team had been in question for several months because of Drossos’ concern about mounting construction near the arena.

He had negotiated with the advisory board for the county-owned Freeman Coliseum, a much smaller facility.

But Thursday, Drossos said the agreement with the city calls for the addition of 1,000 new “prime” seats inside the arena and construction of a new team administrative office building.

The Spurs also expect to have almost 2,000 extra parking spaces by the start of the 1986-87 season.

The Spurs will pay for nearly all of the $2.5 million in improvements to the arena. Drossos had pushed to convince the city to pay for the improvements.