A long-awaited ballpark set for the Lone Star State will not open as scheduled in 2028.The San Antonio Missions, a minor league affiliate of the San Diego Padres, have previously shared plans to build a new $160 million stadium downtown.The Missions’ proposed ballpark has been delayed until 2029Populous/San Antonio MissionsBut fans of the team will have to wait a little longer than initially expected for their new home.In a memo to council members sent late July, San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh said completion of the new baseball stadium project, which the city agreed to help finance two years ago, is being pushed another year.Opening Day for the team and the ballpark is now in April 2029, instead of 2028.The main reason for the delay has been difficulty in securing construction materials.“Earlier this summer, Designated (Bidders LLC) indicated that delays in securing full financing commitments, along with other factors, could result in a delay to the opening of the ballpark facility,” Walsh’s memo, published by the San Antonio Report, explained.He added that team owners gave the city ‘formal notice’ that ongoing challenges related to ‘current construction, procurement, and labor market conditions’ have resulted in a revised project schedule.Randy Smith, a co-owner of the Missions and CEO of developer Weston Urban, said key components for the build are ‘currently harder to source’ than expected.A report from StadiumDB adds the project is also facing challenges related to labour-market conditions and the procurement process.While the ballpark itself is facing delays, Weston Urban’s private development planned for the area surrounding the venue — with apartments, retail space and a hotel said to be worth at least $1 billion — could move forward on a revised timeline.Construction could start in early 2027, before the ballpark, the San Antonio Report claims.The Missions released ballpark plans in MarchPopulous/San Antonio Missions“The ballpark has a much shorter construction schedule than the private development,” Smith explained.“So there’s no reason to start the ballpark too early for an opening of ’29. There’s really one day in a year where you can open a ballpark.”Owners of the team have been working since 2024 to finalize a site for the new ballpark in the northwest quadrant of downtown San Antonio.It’s set to be built along the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, near Fox Tech High School, and construction is now expected to start in summer 2027.“We want the best ballpark, not the fastest ballpark,” Smith added, speaking of the new timeline.What will the new San Antonio ballpark look like?In March 2026, the Missions’ ownership group gave fans and local community members a first look at its planned downtown ballpark.The new minor league stadium will seat 4,500 fans in downtown San AntonioPopulous/San Antonio MissionsThe 4,500-seat stadium is being designed by architectural firm Populous, and will host events beyond minor league games.It’s expected to be used for college and high school baseball games too, as the team sees the project as a ‘community gathering place.’The Missions currently play at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, about eight miles to the west of downtown San Antonio. That ballpark has 6,200 fixed seats and a grass berm in left field that can seat a further 3,000.“This is truly the culmination of well over a decade of public and private effort to breathe vibrancy into the San Pedro Creek Culture Park,” Smith said, revealing the images in March.The new San Antonio ballpark is expected to be ready for Opening Day 2029Populous/San Antonio Missions“Between UTSA’s campus expansion, Frost Tower, the ballpark and our residential developments, the creek is now an unparalleled place for all San Antonians to live, work, learn, and maybe most importantly, play.”