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Alvin eyes possible convention center
Published November 9, 2009
ALVIN — City Council voted last week to purchase 33 acres off Highway 35 for a convention center, allocating $1.6 million in tax notes that includes money to buy land and pay for an environmental study for the site.
There are no designs or cost projections for the proposed convention center.
“We’re still in the research phase,” said Larry Buehler, Alvin’s economic development director.
Councilman Jim Landriault will lead a focus group that will include members from Alvin ISD, Alvin Community College and other organizations to give ideas about how the facility would be used.
The council will look at those ideas in January, City Manager Paul Horn said.
The site, between House and South streets, sits along a tributary to Mustang Bayou. If city officials proceed with the project, they see it as a place for high school proms, trade shows and conventions.
Officials said they plan to pay for the convention center with revenue
collected from the city’s hotel occupancy tax. Hotel rooms rates have a 7 percent tax. Cities must use revenue from that tax for promoting tourism.
“It’s done every time a room is rented,” Landriault said.
The city’s hotels have about an 80 percent occupancy rate, Landriault said.
The plan will be reviewed by the Texas Attorney General’s Office before it is finalized, Horn said.
Landriault stressed that no property tax revenue would be used to pay for building or operating the facility. Certificates of obligation, which do not require voter approval, would be issued to pay for construction, Landriault said.
The city would use the hotel tax revenue to pay back on the bonds, he said. The convention center essentially would be paid for by those who stay in the Alvin hotels, he said.
“It’s not going to cost the citizens anything,” Landriault said.
Some Alvin officials said a convention center could be a good asset for the community because it would draw in visitors and become an option for local events.
“I’d like to see more about it,” said Mike Pyburn, Alvin Community College regent.
“If it’s something that would benefit the community, that would be great.”
Pyburn said the college could use such a facility for job fairs and training seminars.
Both Alvin and Manvel high schools have several hundred students for a prom and there is no place locally to put on the event, Alvin ISD Superintendent Robby McGowen said.
“I could see some of our student organizations also using it for banquets,” he said.
John Tompkins is senior reporter for The Facts. Contact him at 979-849-8581.
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