The Woodlands Edition | November 2025

Government

BY ATIRIKTA KUMAR

Arts center prospects face rising costs

Looking ahead

The board is considering all options before committing to build the arts center, which could even include a private partnership if that proves feasible, Heiser said. “It’s the last piece, really, of The Woodlands that [founder George Mitchell] had intended for us to have as an amenity. So we’re in year 50, and I think that is really what got the discussion started,” Heiser said. In November 2024, the board approved $43,090 for a cost analysis for construction and operation of a performing arts center that did not produce a viable scenario. The board has requested another study and will further discuss the timeline for the performing arts center early next year, Heiser said.

The Woodlands Township board of directors is still exploring the possibility of building a performing arts center—but it may pursue a private partnership due to rising costs, township officials said. A large part of determining the feasibility of the project has been finding a location for a building, board member Cindy Heiser said. While no location has been identified, the board has talked about three potential sites, she said. A memorandum of understanding developed between the township and the Pavilion in 2019 proposed a 1,500-seat venue. The project was estimated to cost $71 million at the time, according to official documents. Since then, the median estimated cost has grown to about $200 million—and the board is now looking at the potential for a smaller facility, Heiser told Community Impact .

Potential arts center sites

The 11-acre former GE Betz site; the former location of the South County Library; and a location near the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion were discussed as possible sites.

1 GE Betz property

2 Former library site

3 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

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THE WOODLANDS WATERWAY

SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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