Local economic development leaders have approached the Houston Astros and owner Jim Crane about the possibility of moving the franchise's AAA minor league team to The Woodlands area.

The Astros current AAA franchise is located in Oklahoma City, with the contract between the two organizations set to expire in 2016.

"The idea of bringing a AAA team to The Woodlands would be terrific," said Giles Kibbe, general counsel for the Houston Astros. "But we're an extremely long ways away from anything happening."

Crane has confirmed to other Houston media outlets the Astros are strongly considering The Woodlands as its AAA affiliate. Crane, who purchased the Astros last year from longtime owner Drayton McClane, was approached by local economic development leaders, including The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership, last year about the possibility of moving a minor league team to The Woodlands area.

"It's a project that we have been working on with them for several months now," said Gil Staley, CEO of The Woodlands Area EDP. "As soon as I heard [about the potential relocation], I knew this is the quality of entertainment that would be a perfect fit for our community."

Staley said representatives from the EDP, the cities of Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North, and Conroe, Montgomery County, as well as The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Development Company have been in negotiations with the Astros about a deal and a potential site.

Both Staley and Kibbe said no site has been determined and the Astros are considering other areas in the region for a team.

"We think it would be a good opportunity if the Astros were able to bring in their AAA team to an area closer to Houston," Kibbe said. "We just have not identified any location for that franchise."

However, with the contract with the Oklahoma City franchise set to expire in three years, and considering the time frame required to build a stadium, Staley expects a decision to be made soon.

Among the sites being considered for a AAA stadium are locations in and around The Woodlands proper boundaries, Staley said, as well as the Camp Strake site on I-45 near South Loop 336 in Conroe.

"[Camp Strake] is one of several sites being considered," Staley said.

It was announced in September that the 2,100-acre Camp Strake, owned by the Boy Scouts of America, was being put up for sale. In March, Jones Lang LaSalle brought the property to market.

Although an actual minor league stadium would not require much acreage, Staley said, a potential site could include more than just the stadium.

"There is entertainment that could be built around the ballpark," he said, "and even high density housing."

Staley and Kibbe said financing for the stadium would likely come from the municipalities, counties or cities in which it would be located.

"Normally, in looking at other development, [the financing] is done by the community or done by the authority around the community," Staley said. "Then [the owning authority] turns around and leases it [to the team] to play in that stadium."

If the Astros decide to relocate its AAA minor league team, the new location will be the tenth city for the organization.