The Grand Texas Theme Park may be the first planned theme park in the Greater Houston area since the closure of AstroWorld, but the Grand Texas Sports and Entertainment District promises to offer more than roller coasters and carnival rides upon its expected opening in 2015.

Planned to break ground early in 2014, the entertainment district is on 630 acres in New Caney near the intersection of Hwy. 242 and Hwy. 59, about 25 miles east of The Woodlands. The district will feature a 150-acre theme park, a 40-acre water park, three sports venues, 450,000 square feet of retail and dining, three hotels and an RV park, said Ashley Higson, director of marking for the district.

"Our goal is to create a destination where a family can go and spend a few days," Higson said. "We wanted this district to provide plenty of entertainment options."

The Grand Texas Theme Park will open sometime in 2015, Higson said. The park will feature five roller coasters, midway games and other rides, but also an educational component among the seven themed areas within the park.

"The theme is to honor the history and culture of Texas, because Texas has such a rich history," she said. "We really wanted to create a place where when visitors walk into Grand Texas theme park, they feel like they've been transported to Texas of old."

Higson said the park will also emphasize "agritainment," combining agriculture and entertainment with a working farm and a petting zoo. Grand Texas will also house a real steam train, a stage coach, a museum and several live entertainment areas, as well as an adventure area with outdoor activities, such as a ropes course and zip lines.

The theme park will initially be 71 acres, she said, with the remainder available for expansion.

The district will also house the Big River Water Park, a 40-acre park that will be open in spring 2015, Higson said, as well as three different sports venues. The 90-acre Grand Texas Sports Complex will be located on the north end of the district and offer baseball, softball and soccer fields available for youth sports tournaments, while the Ballpark of Montgomery County will host an independent baseball team and allow seating for 6,500 during baseball season or 9,000 for other activities, such as concerts.

The Montgomery County Event Center provides around 200,000 square feet of space for sports, concerts and other events, as well, Higson said. It will house a professional hockey team, provide space for conventions and allow for youth? sports tournaments, including volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and cheerleading.

"Youth sports are huge in the country, especially in the Texas area," Higson said. "There are 1,600 select baseball teams in the Houston area, alone. The demand for high quality tournament fields [is] there. There are so many tournaments going on across the country, and we thought it would be a wonderful component."

DownTown Texas will contain 450,000 square feet of retail and dining, Higson said, as well as some secondary entertainment. She said negotiations for retailers and entertainment are ongoing, but nothing was ready to be announced as of press time.

Hospitality will also be a significant aspect of the district, as the Hospitality Village on the south end of the site will feature at least two limited service hotels totaling 200-plus rooms, a service station, standalone dining and a wakeboard lake, Higson said. A contract has been signed with Bonaventure Hospitality Management for the two hotels, she said.

The 19-acre Shady Oaks RV resort is also located within Hospitality Village, she said. The resorts will provide 136 spaces. Another full-service hotel will be located on the north end of the district, offering up to 500 hotel rooms, with convention space and restaurants.

Higson said the district could see as many as 2 million visitors in the first year and as many as 4.5 million visitors by the fifth year.

"Everything is growing out that direction, and we feel that this will be a catalyst in that area," Higson said. "We certainly think that the project will be extremely successful, and will have a positive economic impact on Montgomery County and the Greater Houston area."