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Early voting: residents in favor of cultural entertainment district
By AUDREY M. MARKS
Early voting results show that an overwhelming number of Sugar Land residents want to see the cultural and entertainment district a reality.
The four ballot propositions have received different totals, but all four have seen more than 60 percent of voters favor the project.
More than 12,000 have voted in favor of the project during early voting and around 5,000 opposed.
The district is planned for 52 acres of land on the University of Houston System at Sugar Land campus. The city agreed in 2005 to lease the land for 99 years for $3.5 million.
The acreage will be home to five anchor attractions: a minor league baseball park, an indoor concert venue, an outdoor festival site. The proposed plans include a hotel and convention center, and cultural arts facility that will be developed at a later time according to city officials.
The four ballot propositions expanded the use of an existing sales tax and created a special use tax to help fund the projects.
The special venue taxes include $3 maximum parking tax charged at the district only, a ticket tax up to 10 percent of the ticket’s face value, and a 2 percent increase in the hotel occupancy tax.
The total price tag for the cultural and entertainment district has not been discussed by city officials to date.
Consultants determined a minor league ball park costs between $30 million to $60 million to construct and a 7,000 seat indoor concert venue could cost near $85 million.
The costs for the three remaining components, the festival site, hotel and convention center and cultural arts facility, are unknown.
The four ballot propositions have received different totals, but all four have seen more than 60 percent of voters favor the project.
More than 12,000 have voted in favor of the project during early voting and around 5,000 opposed.
The district is planned for 52 acres of land on the University of Houston System at Sugar Land campus. The city agreed in 2005 to lease the land for 99 years for $3.5 million.
The acreage will be home to five anchor attractions: a minor league baseball park, an indoor concert venue, an outdoor festival site. The proposed plans include a hotel and convention center, and cultural arts facility that will be developed at a later time according to city officials.
The four ballot propositions expanded the use of an existing sales tax and created a special use tax to help fund the projects.
The special venue taxes include $3 maximum parking tax charged at the district only, a ticket tax up to 10 percent of the ticket’s face value, and a 2 percent increase in the hotel occupancy tax.
The total price tag for the cultural and entertainment district has not been discussed by city officials to date.
Consultants determined a minor league ball park costs between $30 million to $60 million to construct and a 7,000 seat indoor concert venue could cost near $85 million.
The costs for the three remaining components, the festival site, hotel and convention center and cultural arts facility, are unknown.
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