Houston Texans’ plans for ‘world-class’ headquarters moving fast and decision on site could be soon
From Jonathan Alexander (Houston Chronicle):
A decision on where the Houston Texans decide to build a new team headquarters could come fairly soon as talks with interested parties have sped up in recent weeks, team president Mike Tomon said.
The talks have elevated so quickly and faster than expected that Tomon has reorganized some of his staff recently to focus specifically on the project full-time.
“We’ve had a number of suitors proactively reach out to us on different options that were really focused on us moving our headquarters and training facility to their respective spaces,” Tomon told the Houston Chronicle. “They’ve gotten mature enough that it has become apparent to us that we need to get prepared to take advantage of something this significant.”
Tomon said their goal is to build a training facility that is “world-class,” which will likely include an entertainment district with retail stores, similar to what the Dallas Cowboys have built with the "Star in Frisco." The Texans project a similar facility that could spark economic development for the county it resides in.
The headquarters would be paid for by the Texans but could include tax breaks and other incentives from that county. The Rockets opened a similar facility last summer, though it is smaller than what the Texans would build.
Harris County is one entity vying to keep the Texans. The county has several acres at NRG Park where the Texans could build a facility and revitalize that area. It could complement potential renovations at NRG Stadium, which the county, Texans and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo are also currently exploring within their lease negotiations.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones told the Chronicle in an interview last month that she and county leadership were engaged in conversations with the Texans and that she was optimistic the Texans would choose their site to build a headquarters.
When asked whether another county or entity was in the running, Tomon declined to say, but added “there have been many,” in the greater Houston area.
“There have been multiple sources who have proactively reached out,” Tomon said. Tomon didn’t know specifically when a decision would come together but said the Texans are moving urgently.
“I don’t have an exact timeline,” Tomon said. “Is that 30 days? Is it six months? But what I would share is the conversations we’re having and the opportunities in front of us are at a level where we know we need to get prepared. “It’s gotten to that level where it’s like, ‘we now need to make sure we’re prepared to start this journey.’”
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