The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

Local News

Discussion

November 15, 2009

Panel due organizing to study arena plan

By Jay Ermis

The Huntsville Hotel Occupancy Tax board has been tasked with recommending a committee to find out how much money should be spent and the scope of a feasibility study of a indoor arena/expo center.

The City Council uanimously approved the measure during its regular session Thursday night at City Hall.

Once the HOT board selects committee members to conduct the study, the names will be submitted to Mayor J. Turner and the City Council for approval.

The feasibility study was one of several items on the council’s lengthy agenda.

Mayor Pro Tem Lanny Ray, who is a member of the HOT board, introduced the idea to the HOT board at its October meeting and the board recommended that it be presented to the City Council for a possible feasibility study.

Ray said he agreed with council members Charles Forbus and Mac Woodward that the HOT board recommend the committee to study the parameters of the feasibility study.

Forbus chairs the HOT board.

“The HOT board has already been talking about this we we have been getting a wonderful amount of input from residents, a wonderful amount of ideas and folks with some expertise have actually approached us,” Ray said.

“I think we have a pretty good focus on that,” he said. “The HOT board has the time to deal with this type of issue.”

Ray said he brought up the idea of the indoor arena/expo center, but “I can’t claim credit for it. I don’t remember when, but over the past few months we started looking at what we could do with the HOT money.”

“A couple of residents came up and said have you looked at Glen Rose, McGregor, Crockett and smaller towns who have taken the motel money and invested it in indoor-covered arena facility to sponsor rodeos. We’re talking large steel buildings.

“We’ re talking about a convenyion facility that would not compete with the Veterans Conference Center. This would be a big steel building a lot like the Lone Star building in Conroe.”

Ray said parking is limited at the Walker County Fairgrounds and “you cannot sell alcoholic beverages. Like it or not, that is a big issue when you’re bringing in concerts and rodeos and things of that nature.”

Ray said the idea is not to jump in and build a facility, but “to commission a feasibility study. My thought on this would be mid- to long-term on this study.

“We’re not looking for an answer in the next 30 days, or 90 days or perhaps not even 180 days.”

Ray said committee members can be from any number of groups and individuals — “anybody with experience in this area.”

He said a study is needed to “see if we can do it because we do have substantial amount of HOT money we could use to finance this and also to operate it since it would be a convention center.”

The city receives an estimated $500,000 a year in Hotel Occupancy Tax funds.

Ray said grant money could also be obtained to help fund the project.

Ray said the tax code outlining use of HOT funds includes funding a convention center.

“We are not trying to build a facility that would compete with the Marriott on the Riverwalk in San Antonio,” he said. “That is a fool’s errand.”

Ray said a facility here would target gun shows, boat shows, auto shows, home shows and rodeos.

“The HOT board went so far as to perhaps suggest bringing the prison rodeo back,” he said. “Right now we don’t have that ability. But if it’s too expensive or won’’t work, it was just an idea we proposed. I think we owe it to the folks to pursue the idea and see what comes of it.”

Text Only
Local News
  • 5-24 Ables 2.jpg Sporting clay event to be held this weekend

    Sporting clays brings the best of the hunting and golf worlds together in a unique sport that dates back to the early 1900s.

    May 23, 2012 2 Photos

  • Man indicted for sexual assault

    A Conroe man already serving 10 years in prison could be facing a life sentence after he was officially charged with the 2010 rape of a 13-year-old Walker County girl.

    May 23, 2012

  • 5-24 Farmer's Market.jpg Only the Freshest

    May 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • Bank robbery suspect indicted

    A New Waverly man who claimed to have an explosive device in an attempt to rob a Huntsville bank almost three months ago was indicted by a Walker County grand jury Thursday.

    May 23, 2012

  • Linklater screening event to benefit historical commission

    Richard Linklater, a native of Huntsville and Oscar nominated writer and director will be returning to Huntsville to reveal his successful 2011 film, Bernie.

    May 23, 2012

  • New Waverly VFD saves house

    Emergency responders quickly extinguished a fire before it caused serious damage to a home in southern Walker County on Tuesday afternoon.

    May 22, 2012

  • 5-23 Pinto.jpg Fresh Face at City Hall

    May 22, 2012 1 Photo

  • Crawfest back for 7th year

    For the past seven years, Walker County residents have been cracking claws for a cause.

    May 22, 2012

  • Museum photo contest back

    The Sam Houston Memorial Museum has announced it is now accepting entries for its 2012 photo contest.

    May 22, 2012

  • 5-23 Region VI.jpg Region VI education participants receive certificates

    Through the Adult education program, Region VI provides instruction in Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education (ASE), General Education Development (GED) preparation and English as a Second Language (ESL), to individuals that did not complete high school, desire to increase academic skills, would like to obtain a General Education Development (GED) certificate or who simply desire to become more proficient in speaking English. 

    May 22, 2012 1 Photo