Tomball officials are expected to get a closer look May 12 at how the former First Baptist Church Tomball campus can work as a long-term arts, entertainment and community hub.
The details
Tomball City Council and the Tomball Economic Development Corp. are slated to meet jointly at 3 p.m. May 12 to hear a presentation from Duncan Webb with Webb Management on the Tomball Legacy Square feasibility study, according to the agenda.
The Tomball Legacy Square Board Committee is also expected to discuss the study during the meeting.
What you need to know
The final feasibility report, dated May 1, lays out a possible future for the 4.6-acre former church campus as a cultural campus with three main pieces: a multipurpose performance hall in the former sanctuary, exhibit space in the 1949 chapel and an arts education center in the fellowship hall, according to the agenda packet.
Webb Management was hired by the TEDC in fall 2025 to study the possible redevelopment of the campus. The study was meant to identify the “highest and best uses” for the former sanctuary, historic chapel and fellowship hall, and look at how those spaces could be programmed, operated and financially sustained, according to the report.
By the numbers
The study estimates the project could generate about $623,830 in annual rent for the TEDC in a base year of operations, depending on future proposals and lease agreements with operating partners, according to the report.
The report also uses a placeholder $25 million capital budget to estimate economic impacts. Based on that figure, the study projects about $36.38 million in one-time economic output from construction and about $5.8 million in annual economic output from operations and audience spending, according to the report.
The report states that Legacy Square could help support Old Town Tomball, improve quality of life, drive regional tourism and help recruit companies and workers to Tomball.
How we got here
The TEDC purchased the 4.63-acre First Baptist Church Tomball property in April 2023 for $4.59 million and leased it back to the church for three years, as previously reported by Community Impact.
The property is located at 401 Oxford St. in Old Town Tomball.
Residents gave early feedback on the site during a July 2025 open house, where concept boards and dot-voting stations asked attendees to weigh in on potential uses. More residents voted in favor of a performance center than options such as dining, outdoor space, an art gallery, retail, a banquet hall and offices, as previously reported.
In October, City Council and the TEDC reviewed updated concepts from Studio Red, including a reconfigured sanctuary that could seat up to 750 people on the main floor and balcony with flexible space for banquets, events and performances, as previously reported.
What’s next
The city's meetings page also lists a Tomball Legacy Fund meeting for 5 p.m. June 1, though an agenda had not yet been posted as of May 11.
