Two Downtown Houston sports venues are set to undergo facility condition assessments in the next few months to determine what upgrades can be made to the aging structures.

What's happening?

The Harris County Houston Sports Authority board of directors voted Aug. 20 to fund a facility condition assessment study for Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park.

HCHSA officials said the study will focus on elements that have known lifespans such as elevators, escalators and structural and maintenance equipment. CEO Janis Burke said the study is also intended to evaluate the state of each venue and see what type of future upkeep or investments may be needed.

The assessment is expected to begin within the next few months and be complete by the end of the year. As of Aug. 21, a total cost for the study was not yet known, HCHSA officials said.

Also of note

Board directors also approved a number of capital repair improvements to the venues, including replacing the roof on the Toyota Center, and replacing the Union Station windows, warehouse cooler and stadium speakers at Minute Maid Park.

• The roof replacement project will begin in September and take four to five months to complete. The $7.5 million-$8 million project will be funded by the Houston Rockets.
• Repairs on Minute Maid Park will cost approximately $14.8 million and will be covered by funds received from the Texas Department of Transportation for the sale of parking lots in connection with work the agency is doing near I-45 and I-69. Projects are anticipated to begin after the season ends in October.

HCHSA Chairman Kent Friedman said the two downtown venues are now over 20 years old, and the results of the condition assessment study, as well as the repairs, will help make sure Houston remains competitive in the world of sports and entertainment.

“Houston has a strong sports brand and hosts some of the best sporting events around, which in turn bring huge economic impact to the entire region," Friedman said. "The tourism and business community sees an uptick in revenues when we are awarded these bids, and it is our intent to continue hosting prestigious sporting events for many, many years to come.”

Looking ahead

Houston has a host of global sporting events on the horizon, including the World Baseball Classic at Minute Maid Park in March 2026 and the FIFA World Cup at Shell Energy Stadium in the summer of 2026. The Toyota Center also recently hosted the NCAA's Final Four in 2023.