Sugar Land's New Venue to Attract Prime Entertainers

SUGAR LAND, TX -- The city is just a few short weeks away from opening a new entertainment venue that is already drawing some big names, and will inevitably make Sugar Land a destination city.

Smart Financial Centre will officially open its doors in Jan. 14 with comedian Jerry Seinfeld the first act to take the stage in the 3,000 seat complex, that with moveable walls, can be expanded to seat 6,400 patrons.

The complex, which is expected to have a $26 million economic impact annually on the city, is expected to attract a number of prominent entertainers, such as Sting, The Dave Matthews Band, Don Henley and Reba McEntire, as well as comedy legends like Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chris Rock.

The 200,000-square-foot venue will also showcase a wide variety of programs, productions and community events.

“It’s really something unique that the City of Houston, the City of Sugar Land, this region has never seen before,” Randy Bloom, general manager of Smart Financial Centre, said.

The drive to make a venue like the Smart Financial Centre a reality in Sugar Land began in 2007 with task force whose focus it was to envision the venues that would help transform Sugar Land into a destination city.

Although indoor entertainment options, such as plays and other performing arts presentations were the top considerations, the committee also decided on a base field, a festival site, a hotel conference center and a community cultural arts facility.

The Smart Financial Centre, is a large cog of a much larger project that includes mixed-use development that will be located on a 38-acre tract adjoining 49 acres that is owned by a private entity that will include mixture of office, retail and restaurant space.

“The venue will anchor a plaza featuring an interactive water fountain, a tree-covered grove, a large lawn area for residents and visitors and a dedicated area for food truck connections," said Jennifer May, Sugar Land's Executive Director of Business and Governmental Affairs. "The project is expected to spur additional commercial and retail growth that will further establish Sugar Land as one of the strongest economies in the region, providing important tourism revenue that helps maintain one of the lowest tax rates in the state while funding a high level of services for taxpayers."

Image:Liz West via Flickr