Brazos Center, Expo Center, Legends Event Center, hotels such as the Hilton and TAMU... is there really a need in this area beyond that?

I've been to true "convention centers" in Houston and Dallas, and just don't see BCS utilizing something of that magnitude.

I've seen big names play at Reed and at Kyle. I go to concerts in Houston a few times a year. It takes less than half a tank of gas and 2 hours of driving. A lot of those bands I simply don't think would make a stop in CS.

The City should be grateful there are multiple locations for events in town, none of which are costing them anything, that still provide them some economic benefit from people traveling here.

I'd rather see them renovate Macy's for this rather than build a standalone building. I still think it would be a huge waste of tax money.

Just my two cents.

MyNameIsJeff said:

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Brazos Center, Expo Center, Legends Event Center, hotels such as the Hilton and TAMU... is there really a need in this area beyond that?

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Being in this event industry, it would probably shock you how many groups we personally work with that write-off College Station because of the lack of a bigger, consolidated convention center. Those spaces you listed are one day, small meeting types of venues. TAMU is a pain compared to other cities and the Hilton is incredably unattractive.

Can you point to a facility similar to the one you thinking the city should build?

Ultimately, I would like to compare estimated costs against estimated benefits (to the taxpayers who will be expected to pay for all this).

If nobody is willing to put forward any kind of estimates for costs and benefits, I do not see how anybody could take this proposal seriously.

Public or private, how will a convention center increase my quality of life?

Tim Weaver said:

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BQ_90 said:

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Tim Weaver said:

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woodiewood said:

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91_Aggie said:

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Saw this on Facebook for things to watch for at Thursday meeting:

Looks like David Woods going to spend more of our money convincing council members and mayor to buy into this thing.


https://blog.cstx.gov/2025/02/26/5-things-to-watch-at-thursdays-city-council-meeting-70/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIsfTRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHd4fSwDJHdIWrl6EhilCToiIhYU7Dmc0mVDCvHzxYJ-26EA56dAk3WS6vw_aem_4zSnDwyHoJpLP9Lual7LQA

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Do we not have a hotel and covention center at the Hilton? Why does the city think they need to compete with the Hilton.

The Hilton College Station & Conference Center in College Station, Texas has 31,919 square feet of event space, which can accommodate large conventions and corporate meetings. The hotel's meeting and ballroom space is IACC certified.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/cllchhf-hilton-college-station-and-conference-center/events/

?impolicy=crop&cw=2600&ch=1091&gravity=NorthWest&xposition=0&yposition=69&rw=1920&rh=806

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The Hilton's facility is literally 'the worst'. And to get the worst possible venue, it also costs 'the most' to get that service.

Just because the Hilton exists doesn't mean we don't still legitimately need a real convention space here.

Kinda like wanting a good burger and saying "don't we already have a McDonalds?". If you want a GOOD burger, McDonalds doesn't cut it.

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but i don't wanna pay $1000 for what you think is a good burger. If you want to, then spend your own money

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I don't want to pay for animal control. If you don't want rabid skunks in your yard, YOU pay for it.


We could just go back and forth on this ad infinitum. It doesn't remove the fact that this area has a need that is being unfulfilled.



Also, what you are saying here hinges on the supposition that there IS a convention center worth using in town. There is not.

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It does not matter whether we already have a significantly sized convention center, or not. It is not the city's responsibility to use taxpayer funds to.provide one.

AgProgrammer said:

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MyNameIsJeff said:

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Brazos Center, Expo Center, Legends Event Center, hotels such as the Hilton and TAMU... is there really a need in this area beyond that?

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Being in this event industry, it would probably shock you how many groups we personally work with that write-off College Station because of the lack of a bigger, consolidated convention center. Those spaces you listed are one day, small meeting types of venues. TAMU is a pain compared to other cities and the Hilton is incredably unattractive.

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How many? have examples?

PS3D said:

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woodiewood said:

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PS3D said:

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spike427 said:

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A city building/operating a conference center is one thing. Having a hotel attached to the project is another. What hotel brand would be the partner in that venture and what's the selection process? Are there examples of other cities who embark on such development? I have a lot of questions.

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Admittedly I don't know much about the convention center biz but it's very, very common to have a hotel adjacent or attached to a convention center since most of these venues have people come into an area just for a convention (either setting it up, or attending, or being an attraction). The big question I would have is if the local hotel market can sustain another big hotel. I'm struggling to think of any hotels that have opened since COVID, the only one that comes to mind is stayAPT Suites out on University Drive East. Is it just a market downturn or did the construction in the last ten years max out the market?

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We just had a Drury Inn open on Univ Dr near the Hilton a couple of weeks ago.

Also, would a convention center support itself economically or would the taxpapers have to substidize it monthly?

Just yesterday, the county said that the Brazos County Exposition Center is running at a large loss.

"Nettles received no opposition to adding to the committee that will review proposals from architects and construction managers at risk, a member of the Brazos Valley Fair Board and a representative of the agriculture community. And there was no opposition to Brown's request to discuss how to increase revenue at the Expo complex, where he says the county is losing $1.2 million dollars a year."

That's $100,000 a month that has to be covered by us.

With the Hilton and A&M's facilities available as competitors, would a convention center support itself or will the taxpapers have to foot a bill like $100,000 and up a month?

"But the evidence of economic benefit remains uncertain, and most of the 175 convention centers across the country operate at a loss, said Robin Hunden, founder and CEO of development consulting firm Hunden Partners in Chicago." https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/online_features/why-are-cities-still-spending-big-on-convention-centers/article_471688fa-a128-11ef-8a8b-e7961dd4426d.html

We don't have to have everything that other cities have.

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Ah yes, I did forget Drury.

The issue I have is that while the existing facilities aren't very adequate--Hilton's is still small and A&M (this was mentioned in another post somewhere that I can't find) is very, very reluctant to host anything that's not academic/student-adjacent during the daytime...at the same time is there actually a demand to host anything here where facilities are the main stumbling block? It would be very difficult to compete with Austin or Houston on those standards.

I'm sure the city would say "yes, it is a lack of facilities" but as plausible as it sounds, it doesn't say much without any proof, just like the "difficult to do business in College Station" claims are.

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I probably have managed seven or eight meetings at the Hilton and it will hold 1,500 persons.

I wonder how many events we could draw here that needs more capacity than 1,500 that won't rather go to Houston, Austin, San Antonio, DFW where there is more options? Try to draw people here for a convention in most of the year organizers will realize there is not a dang thing to do before, during and after the convention. If it's a multi-day conference, many attendees will bring their family. Maybe walk the Mall?

I put on many conferences for an A&M agency over 28 years and we always made sure we had options for our attendees other than the conference activities themselves....those are important.

Also, "Texas A&M University allows rentals of convention facilities for a variety of events, including meetings, galas, and conferences. You can rent facilities through the Athletics department, the Rec Sports department, the Visitor Center, and other areas.

Facilities

• Texas A&M Athletics: Offers a variety of facilities for rent, including spaces for meetings and galas
  
  
• Visitor Center: Has a 5,000 sq ft event space that can accommodate 354 people
  
  
• Rec Sports: Offers online reservation requests through the Everyday User platform
  
  
• AgriLife Research and Extension: Offers meeting space that can be scheduled by calling (325) 657-7333 or emailing audrey.kvapil@ag.tamu.edu
  
  
• The Gardens at Texas A&M University: Offers event space that can be reserved "

Also, there has been a number of outside events using A&M faciities.

"Texas A&M Athletics offers a number of first-class facilities available for rental, tours, photos, and any number of unique opportunities. Whether it's a 10-person business meeting or a 1,000-member gala, we have the perfect space for your event that your guests will never forget.

If you are interested in booking an event with Texas A&M Athletics' Special Events department, you've come to the right place. Use the photos below to explore the available amenities and options for each venue. Then make your selection using the "Request Space" link. Once your reservation request is complete, someone from our Special Events Team will be in contact with you and your group to set up a meeting."
https://12thman.com/sports/2018/5/28/facilityrental


I can see the COCS spending 10 million dollars for an convention center that, after a year or two, is used three or four times a year for large events and we operate at a million dollar or so a year loss.

Stucco said:

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Public or private, how will a convention center increase my quality of life?

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Nothing besides knowing your tax dollars paid for it.

If there is such a big need, take out a loan, find some investors, build it yourself, book all the concerts you're talking about, then rub your success in my face for being a doubter.

threecatcorner said:

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FlyRod said:

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Who told them "no?" out of curiosity? Was a survey distributed locally?

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I don't remember what year it was, but they've put convention center on a bond election at least once and voters turned it down.

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To me, any non-essential structure over a couple of million dollars that isn't needed in order to supply essential services to the citizens, should be voted up or down by the registered voters in COCS,.

We should have had the ability to vote on the Macy's purchase.

AgProgrammer said:

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MyNameIsJeff said:

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Brazos Center, Expo Center, Legends Event Center, hotels such as the Hilton and TAMU... is there really a need in this area beyond that?

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Being in this event industry, it would probably shock you how many groups we personally work with that write-off College Station because of the lack of a bigger, consolidated convention center. Those spaces you listed are one day, small meeting types of venues. TAMU is a pain compared to other cities and the Hilton is incredably unattractive.

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People who host conventions and people who go to conventions want a "destination" city... College Station is not a destination city.

Everyone coming will have fly into Houston or Austin and then drive 90 minutes.

It is a dumb idea

Yancy et al. are moving forward with a $15 million ballpark when a very similar project was voted down less than 3 years ago.

I don't know what could cause them to reconsider moving forward with this convention center. But I would love to see it. Because this, as far as I have seen, is another very bad idea.

woodiewood said:

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I can see the COCS spending 10 million dollars for an convention center that, after a year or two, is used three or four times a year for large events and we operate at a million dollar or so a year loss.

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I would imagine the cost would be more than 10 million and the losses greater too.



Outside events can definitely use A&M facilities and it works great, like concerts at Reed. I will be seeing Theo Von there next month. Great venue and its already built.

We are not anywhere close to having the infrastructure to be a convention city. We have three flights a day on an aircraft that seats about 70 people each trip and only one airline. If we maxed out all three planes the passengers would barely fill a Chili's.

So we are going to ask companies and concert goers to fly to a big airport and drive 2+ hours to get here. And once they are here make sure they have rental cars or uber everywhere. Or maybe take a green bus that stops in random places. (I have seen A&M officially marked bus stops but never official stops for the big green one???)

I love our community, but there are some things we are not; nor should we be. We are not a convention city. Texas does have one of the best convention cities in the USA San Antonio. You don't need a car. You can take a shuttle or ride share from the airport to your hotel on the Riverwalk and not worry about having a car. You can walk to entertainment food other hotels and even the Alamo. You can even stay a week and eat somewhere awesome and different for every meal --- and still walk everywhere.

We just aren't setup to be a convention city. People who come for football, come to see their team, tailgate stay the night and leave. If feasible they wouldn't even stay the night. But some do it because they have to. Most places force you to book the weekend on a gameday; which really tells you most don not want to stay longer than they have to.

For concerts, sports, theater, and even drone shows we already have it covered. 75k people for a soccer game and 100k+ for George Straight at Kyle Field - 4th of July at RELLIS - Cirque du Soleil and theater at Rudder Theo Von and concerts at Reed.

These are all things that are about to happen or have happened within the past year or so. And they are all at facilities that are existing.

The city of College Station is just being greedy and wants that revenue versus A&M, Bryan and Brazos County. Its weird because they would now be competitors and there is no grantee the city would get some of those events versus campus. Thousands of people already have an A&M parking pass and thousands are in walking distance to campus plus students get the bus for free to get to campus.

Our other big spaces in town are Phillips Event Center Brazos Center and the Expo center. Those places are either City of Bryan or the County.

The cities should be looking to build things that complement each other versus trying to compete with each other to see who has the bigger you know what… (primarily talking to City of College Station here.)

Also discussed in the past, we don't have the airport to support any significant convention travel.

Do the city leaders still believe people will fly into Houston or Austin and then drive/shuttle/ride share for 1.5 hours or more to get to College Station when they can be to their hotel and convention center in those cities in 30 minutes?

AgProgrammer said:

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I do not disagree one bit at all that our poor excuse of an airport is also a turn off. Now, that whole deal is a chicken or the egg scenario. Should the airport grow in options first to then attract more out-of-town business or do the facilities need to happen first for the airlines to expand here. I don't have the answer to that one.

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I would not object to more facilities, just have them pay for by private investors, not everyone's tax money.

To me, if we are going to spend tax money on a facility that is going to be used regularly, the city council need to go visit the Brenham's water park near Blue Bell. The outdoor splash pads, pools, and water slides are open April through Sept and the indoor facilities year-around.

"Located at 1800 E. Tom Green St., Brenham, TX 77833. The Aquatic Center is a beautiful three-pool complex composed of an indoor six-lane competition pool, a heated therapy pool, and the outdoor leisure pool. Each offers a wide variety of benefits to the community. The Blue Bell Aquatic Center offers a number of programs and swimming classes throughout the year"

That location is always full of family and kids year around much more than a convention center that probably will be used once or twice a month.

Also, it would be used mostly by the taxpayers who paid for it, rather than to drawn out of towners to our city which is sort of nice. A large convention center probably will never be visited more than once every few years by 90% of locals.

AgProgrammer said:

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I do not disagree one bit at all that our poor excuse of an airport is also a turn off. Now, that whole deal is a chicken or the egg scenario. Should the airport grow in options first to then attract more out-of-town business or do the facilities need to happen first for the airlines to expand here. I don't have the answer to that one.

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but the city shouldn't spend millions in the hopes of "if we build it, then the airport and airlines will expand, and then we will start getting more people here"

that's a huge risk

If conventions try to be held here and no one shows up because no one wants to drive 90 miles after flying in, then the airport/airlines have no real data to show people are trying to come here, so the airport never expands.

And it's not even that. Like I said before, College Station/Bryan area is NOT a destination spot. When organizers of conventions decide to host a convention, they take into account:

• Ease of getting to the location (we don't have this)
• What else is there to do in that area that people who pay a lot of money to attend the convention will want to do (we don't have this... and city manager is actively trying to get rid of Northgate which is kind of a neat area to visit for out of town guests)
• Rental cars, ubers, taxis, ease of getting around, public transportation.

This is a dumb idea and feels like Mayor, City Council, and/or City Manager just want a legacy thing they can say they did.

But how much money do they make/lose each year on them?

I stopped flying out of Easterwood because I'm screwed if AA cancels the last connection...and they did all the time. My last overnight in DFW about 6 years ago made me start taking the shuttle to IAH and I haven't looked back.

Plus, I only have a handful of departure and arrival options from Easterwood. Layovers in DFW can be up to 6 hours. I can get to IAH, go through TSA precheck faster than at Easterwood, and be on a plane 2 hours after leaving home. I did it on Monday.