Rosenberg’s year-old EpiCenter arena is already punching above its weight.
Fort Bend County leaders are teeing up the next phase for the EpiCenter, which opened last year: the EpiCenter Hotel and Convention Center Project. The $235 million plan calls for a 254-key hotel connected to expanded meeting and convention facilities and parking garages spanning 70,000 square feet, the Houston Business Journal reported. The development aims to reposition Rosenberg as a regional draw for tourism, trade shows and business gatherings.
The $120 million, 230,000 square-foot complex will be “a true game-changer for our community,” said Fort Bend County Judge KP George..
Officials hope the project will complement the arena and catalyze retail, restaurant and hospitality development in the fast-growing corridor southwest of Houston.
The arena, at 28505 Southwest Freeway, opened a year ago with 10,000 seats, flexible floor space and a slate of concerts, sports and family entertainment. The venue has already hosted everything from high school graduations to national acts like All Elite Wrestling’s “Dynamite” and “Rampage,” plus Hot Wheels’ Monster Trucks Live Glow Party.
The region’s growth trajectory is already evident. Fort Bend is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, with a booming population and rising demand for venues that can accommodate large-scale events. Local boosters believe the EpiCenter can capture a share of the conferences and entertainment business that typically defaults to Houston. If the hotel and convention piece comes together, Rosenberg could emerge as a secondary hub in Greater Houston’s event economy.
Building and maintaining public event venues often strains local budgets, however, and competition for concerts and conventions is fierce. Houston’s established convention center and suburban venues like Sugar Land’s Smart Financial Centre dominate the market. But Fort Bend County officials see an opening: a mid-sized, modern facility that can land bookings too big for local gyms but too small for or priced out of downtown Houston.
If the packed crowds at wrestling shows and monster truck rallies are any indication, the arena has already proven it can draw.
— Eric Weilbacher
Read more
Trammell Crow adds massive industrial complex to Fort Bend County
Johnson Development scoops up 1,500 acres in Fort Bend County
Signorelli, DR Horton extend metro’s fringes with 1,000 homes
Barnes & Noble stacks shelves in suburban Houston retail revival
Dhanani scoops up more land in path of growth
