COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — College Station City Council is moving forward with plans for a new multi-use event center after a feasibility study revealed the city has lost millions in economic impact due to insufficient event space.
Watch the full story here:
The council met Monday to discuss the proposed facility, which could host everything from boat shows and car shows to live music concerts and family entertainment events like Jurassic tours and Legoland shows.
A feasibility study presented to the council showed College Station lost more than 60 events between 2022 and 2024 due to lack of adequate event space, translating to an estimated $13.2 million in lost economic impact for the city.
"It's very hard, if not impossible in a smaller market like ours to get relevant bookings to come here," Hunter Goodwin said.
Goodwin is a local resident and business owner who connected the city with Legends Global.
Bob Yancy, who represents Place 5 on the city council, said communities across the country are evaluating similar projects.
"Communities all over the country are evaluating multi-purpose event centers just as we are now," Yancy said.
Legends Global presented options for what the facility could offer and the types of events it could attract.
"Basically, everything from boat shows, car shows, family entertainment, like the Jurassic family tour, the Legoland Brickyard Show, live music concerts," Yancy said.
Several council members expressed interest in Hensel Park as a potential location for the event center.
"I'm hoping the university comes through with Hensel Park. I don't think it will work any other place," Councilman McIlhany said.
Yancy believes the event center would serve as an entertainment hub for the entire community.
"I believe an investment like this done right, could really change the game for entertainment options for everyone from families to retirees to students and permanent residents," Yancy said.
Mayor John Nichols indicated the city is ready to move forward with planning, though funding and governance remain key considerations.
"I think the city is prepared to work towards this. Without very many reservations except for the fact that it's got to be funded, it's got to have a good governance system and so on and so forth," Nichols said.
The total cost of the project could reach $500 million. Possible funding options include hotel occupancy taxes, state funding tools and legislative support.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.