Zooming in
At a Sept. 23 meeting, Rosenberg City Council heard a presentation on a $236 million expansion to Fort Bend Epicenter—a project that would bring a full-service, first-class flag hotel and convention center to the city, with hopes of adding retail space in the future.
“We’re excited about this project for not only for the citizens of Fort Bend County, but for the growth and the citizens of Rosenberg,” Vincent Morales, Fort Bend County Precinct 1 commissioner and former Rosenberg mayor, said.
The Epicenter, located at 28505 Southwest Freeway, has already hit benchmarks expected for year six, said Carlos Guzman, director of development and economic opportunity for Fort Bend County.
The proposal comes after Fort Bend County and Rosenberg officials entered into a nonbinding memorandum of understanding in March 2024 to attract a hotel development on the land adjacent to the Epicenter, Community Impact reported.
By the numbers
Steve Robinson, urban development and public finance lawyer at Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP, said the project would be funded by $161 million from Fort Bend County and about $75 million from a private developer.
Key project components include:
- A 218-room full-service, first-class flag hotel
- A 70,000-square-foot convention center
- Two parking garages, totaling 2,600 spaces
However, to pay back construction costs, the county is requesting that the city of Rosenberg allow hotel occupancy taxes to go back to Fort Bend, Robinson said. Rosenberg would still receive all property and sales taxes from the Epicenter.
What’s next?
The city will hold a public hearing to receive public input on the expansion, Rosenberg Mayor William Benton said. While no date has been set, Rosenberg City Council will meet again Oct. 21.
