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Agreement Approved for Future Concert/Performing Arts Venue in Sugar Land

Sugar Land, TX – The Sugar Land Development Corporation and Sugar Land City Council approved on Aug. 7 a Letter of Intent with ACE Sugar Land, LLC, for the development of a future concert and performing arts facility.

The agreement defines the terms of a public/private partnership for a 6,500-seat concert and performing arts facility in Sugar Land. The venue’s proposed location is a 21-acre site near the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and University Boulevard, an area that will include a larger mixed-use development within an area of Telfair identified for commercial, office and entertainment purposes. No time line has been set for completion of the project.

The Letter of Intent establishes funding to begin programming and schematic design, with a focus on creating a signature facility that will be financially feasible and operationally self-sustainable.

The concert/performing arts venue is expected to benefit the community by promoting economic development, creating employment opportunities and enhancing educational offerings.

In 2007, a citizen-appointed Visioning Task Force identified five preferred entertainment venues it felt would fulfill the vision of developing Sugar Land as a destination location for residential, employment, retail and medical services and entertainment. The Task Force’s top three priorities included a professional minor league baseball park, an outdoor festival site and an indoor concert venue. Sugar Land voters overwhelmingly approved the proposed venues and funding in a November 2008 referendum. Constellation Field opened in April 2012, and more than 250,000 visitors have attended ballgames to date, exceeding all prior attendance projections.

A 2008 Market Analysis and Feasibility Study and an updated 2012 study showed that a concert/performing arts venue in Sugar Land would promote capital investment, create new jobs, enhance educational opportunities and create unique destination activities attracting local and regional visitors.

“Making Sugar Land a destination for culture and entertainment has been a long-held vision of our citizens and City Council,” said Mayor James Thompson. “We believe this will fill a much-needed gap in entertainment needs in this part of the greater Houston region and bring many more people here to enjoy the arts and all that our City offers.”

In May 2011, the City approved a memorandum of understanding with ACE SL LLC, a company selected based on its operational experience and knowledge of the entertainment industry.

“My partners and I are honored to be selected by the City of Sugar Land as its partner in the planning and development of this exciting project,” stated Allen Becker, chairman of ACE SL LLC. “We have been fortunate in our over 30 years in the live entertainment business to have worked in the major cities of the United States and Canada, as well as in many markets throughout the world. But nothing beats home, and we will work as hard as it takes to make this facility a success for the City of Sugar Land, and to bring the best in entertainment to this community, our community!”

About ACE SL, LLC.

ACE SL, LLC, brings an experienced team of locally-based entertainment industry professionals to the project, led by Allen J. Becker, TONY Award-winning founding chairman of PACE Entertainment Corporation. The ACE Executive Team also includes Brian E. Becker, Gary D. Becker, David M. Anderson, Gary A. Markowitz and Kirk B. Feldmann. Together, they offer more than 175 years of experience and success in local, national and international entertainment ventures, including pioneering the development of new music and theatrical venues, as well as the entertainment to fill them.

About Sugar Land

The City of Sugar Land is an award-winning community 20 miles southwest of Houston. This master-planned community has achieved its sustainable, strong local economy through a strategically focused and aggressive economic development program creating new wealth and jobs. As a regional employment center, the City is home to numerous high-profile regional and international corporations housed in more than 22 million square feet of commercial space, including Minute Maid, Schlumberger, Fluor Corporation, Bechtel EO and Aetna.

Sugar Land has also uniquely positioned itself as a hub for premium shopping, dining and entertainment. Venues such as the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, the recently announced Constellation Field, as well as the future concert/performing arts center and Sugar Land Heritage Museum will further establish the community as a cultural and historical destination.

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The good thing is all 6500 seats will be indoors. You can have the Cynthia Woods Pavilion in the middle of summer. The Woodlands Pavilion lists seating for 16,000 but over 9,600 is lawn seating. The Sugar Land one will have more actual seats. They may not attract the "festival" bands but should still attract some quality performers. Not having to drive to the Woodlands is the best part.

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Not sure how anyone could argue that the Cynthia Woods Pavilion is not a huge success. So far this year it's the #3 amphitheater in The World in terms of sales. It's also safe, clean, and a cool venue to be at... even on the lawn (at night). Just don't be the moron that's too cheap to spring for a hotel and decides to drive home after saki and a few big beers.

The success of the Sugar Land facility will depend on competing venues in the area with that capacity.

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I second staying over night in a hotel in the Woodlands, but that's an expensive option for many people. And yes, Cynthia Woods is a huge success, but I still say summer is to damn hot for an outdoor concert. I miss the Summit, which is now the Goditorium. Damn that Joel Osteen.

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The success or failure of these venues tends to ride less on how impressive the venue is, and more on the company booking the entertainment. The music and entertainment industry is not as much a study in capitalism and the free market, as it is a study in cronyism. ACE is well known in the business, as was its predecessor, PACE. This venue should do well with those guys at the helm, just as Dynamo/BBVA Compass Stadium should get some good acts with Anschutz Entertainment owning the Dynamo. It goes without saying that Cynthia Woods Mitchell has a top notch group running their facility, since it is the best pavilion in the state.

More choices for people who like to blow $100 for a couple of hours of entertainment. :)

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Took me 2 1/2 hours to drive from near Sugar Land to the Woodlands for KISS/Motley last weekend. Obviously the big names won't be playing Sugar Land, but maybe they can snag some shows away from Verizon (Bayou Place) and/or the Stafford Center.

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I second staying over night in a hotel in the Woodlands, but that's an expensive option for many people. And yes, Cynthia Woods is a huge success, but I still say summer is to damn hot for an outdoor concert. I miss the Summit, which is now the Goditorium. Damn that Joel Osteen.

Damn Joel? Really? The Summit was a vacant venue that received a new lease on life instead of it falling into disrepair and a drain on the city budget (think Astrodome). If you have not been inside the ''summit'' (Lakewood Church), I encourage you to take a stroll through. It's beautiful and ensures the Summit's existance for many decades to come. Think before you speak.

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Took me 2 1/2 hours to drive from near Sugar Land to the Woodlands for KISS/Motley last weekend. Obviously the big names won't be playing Sugar Land, but maybe they can snag some shows away from Verizon (Bayou Place) and/or the Stafford Center.

If it took you 2 1/2 hours to get from Sugar Land to The Woodlands then either there was a serious accident on the southwest frwy or you drive incredibly slow.

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Damn Joel? Really? The Summit was a vacant venue that received a new lease on life instead of it falling into disrepair and a drain on the city budget (think Astrodome). If you have not been inside the ''summit'' (Lakewood Church), I encourage you to take a stroll through. It's beautiful and ensures the Summit's existance for many decades to come. Think before you speak.

It was sarcasm. It's really the City that I hate. I still think they could have put the building to better use as a performance/arts venue, but that's another argument.

Sorry. I wasn't trying to upset any Osteen disciples.

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Damn Joel? Really? The Summit was a vacant venue that received a new lease on life instead of it falling into disrepair and a drain on the city budget (think Astrodome). If you have not been inside the ''summit'' (Lakewood Church), I encourage you to take a stroll through. It's beautiful and ensures the Summit's existance for many decades to come. Think before you speak.

It should have been sold to an entity that pays taxes. That is a huge tract of prime real estate not generating any tax revenue.

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Our city is just REALLY spread out. For Sugarland residents its too far to drive to the Wo0dlands, for Woodlands residents its too far to drive to Houston much less Sugarland...heck i live across from the Galleria and i dont like driving to Sugarland or The Woodlands (where i grew up) haha! Nothing is ever going to be convenient for everyone but if the act is worth it you will drive where you have to drive if you want to see them bad enough. BUT i do agree with everyone about either staying the night close to the venue if drinking (especially at all day festivals) OR have a designated driver!

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And I'm sure it would have been if one had stepped up.

The Dome is still waiting.

Apples and Oranges. The Summit property could be redeveloped much easier than the dome and would have have sold in time. The dome is still waiting because the Texans and the Rodeo have to approve any plan for the dome.

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And the Summit was redeveloped. By the only entity that happened to step up with any money. So it was a non-profit. Big deal. At least the Summit is not rotting like the Dome waiting for a private taxpaying white-night (or anybody).

The Albert Thomas Convention Center was empty for something like 10 years before being turned into Bayou Place. Has the back half of it ever filled up or is it still empty?

Greenway Plaza has not exactly been building high-rises either. The only thing built in the area in the last decade has been one or two story strip centers, car dealerships, and a couple of apartment complexes. Nothing earth-shattering, and nothing that would have generated enough return to buy the Summit from the city and tear it down.

So in a nutshell, the city got a little bit of cash of front and rid themselves of a liability of who knows how many years of upkeep of a deteriorating asset. Based on the track record of re-purposing of other large public buildings in Houston in the last few years, they did OK.

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http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/sugar-land--missouri-city/sugar-land-moves-forward-with-performing-arts-center/

 

 

Sugar Land City Council has selected Houston-based builder Linbeck Group as the new construction manager at risk, or CMAR, for the city’s $83.6 million Performing Arts Center. The center will be on a nearly 40-acre property in the Telfair commercial district along Hwy. 59 and University Boulevard.

 

“In the past few months, we have made a lot of progress in getting to the 40 percent mark for the design development plans,” city engineer Chris Steubing said. “The design team continues to look at refining the details as we move forward.”

 

Linbeck Group was awarded a $98,500 contract for pre-construction services, which includes cost estimation and budget consultation along with scheduling, planning and general coordination for the project. The company’s past projects include Reliant Stadium in Houston and the Bill and Margo Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

 

Designs for the Performing Arts Center are underway and are expected to be completed in February or March 2014. Construction of the center is expected to break ground summer 2014 and take an estimated 639 calendar days.

 

 

 

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