Conroe could look to put itself in the running for the newly proposed U.S. Space Academy, with two City Council members asking staff to research whether the city has a realistic shot at hosting the federal institution.
During council member inquiry time at the Sept. 10 meeting, Council members David Hairel and Shana Arthur raised the idea of pursuing the academy and pointed to the Deison Technology Park as a possible location. The Space Academy was not a separate action item on the Sept. 10 agenda and council took no formal vote on pursuing the project.
What happened
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 28 establishing a presidential commission to develop plans for the U.S. Space Academy, a proposed NASA-led federal academy focused on technical education, leadership development and public service. The commission has 120 days to submit recommendations covering everything from curriculum and governance to the academy's permanent location.
Hairel said bringing the academy to Conroe could change the city's economic "trajectory" through new educational partnerships and opportunities in the aerospace, defense and technology sectors.
Hairel said he and Arthur believe the possibility is "an opportunity worth exploring seriously."
Slides shown during the discussion identified Deison Technology Park as a potential location and highlighted Conroe's proximity to NASA's Johnson Space Center, access to I-45 and the region's engineering, energy and advanced technology workforce.
The Space Academy proposal is the latest idea being considered for the Technology Park. In January, City Council voted 4-1 to support reserving about 42 acres of the property for a potential entertainment and recreation venue, with concepts including an amphitheater, trails, a man-made lake, splash pad and food truck area.
Deison Technology Park opened in 2013 with the goal of attracting technology businesses, but city officials said earlier this year that only one tract had been sold since its opening. The entertainment venue concept was sent to the Conroe Industrial Development Corporation for further consideration.
The conceptual presentation by Hairel and Arthur also outlined several steps the city could explore, including forming a local public-private leadership team, conducting a feasibility study, evaluating the Deison site, developing partnerships and identifying grants, philanthropic or other public funding opportunities.
Arthur emphasized that the discussion was about determining whether Conroe could realistically compete—not committing the city to the project.
"I'm not suggesting Conroe will get it," Arthur said, adding that officials should "find out if Conroe can compete for it."
What's next
Hairel and Arthur asked City Administrator David Willard to meet with them and have city staff gather more information on the opportunity and its potential impact on Conroe. Willard agreed, although no meeting date or formal next step was set Sept. 10.
The timing of the inquiry could move quickly. NASA announced Sept. 10 that it is seeking information from states interested in hosting and supporting the academy. Under the current process, each state can submit one response through its governor or a governor's designee, with submissions due Oct. 26. NASA's preliminary timeline calls for breaking ground no later than 2027, temporarily serving the first 300 students in 2028 and opening a permanent campus by 2031.
That means any effort by Conroe would still be in its earliest stages and would ultimately need to fit into the state and federal selection process.
