An entity associated with the Houston Astros purchased a Salvation Army shelter across the street from the team’s home field, as the Major League Baseball franchise makes moves to develop an entertainment district.
Deed records show Dugout Properties, which shares an address with Daikin Park and The Astros Foundation, bought the property at 1717 Congress Street, a 0.6-acre property across from Daikin Park (formerly Minute Maid Park).
The property is currently home to the Salvation Army’s Center for Hope. Formerly the site of Sally’s House, an emergency shelter for women, the center now provides shelter to men as well as programs for veterans and people experiencing homelessness.
The property is valued at $4.3 million, according to appraisal district records. The Salvation Army has owned the property since 1988.
Upon extending its lease at Daikin Park until 2050, the Astros announced plans to build an entertainment district across the street from its downtown park in 2023. It started amassing nearby land in 2016. Plans for the project include 60,000 square feet of retail, a 17-story, 300-key hotel and an open area where fans can watch games on a big screen, MLB reported.The development aims to give Houston a district like Texas Live! In Arlington or Ballpark Village in St. Louis.
The team tapped Houston-based developer Hines to lead the development project. When plans for the district were announced in 2023, Astros owner Jim Crane said he wanted to start construction by the end of 2024, but nearly two years later, work hasn’t started.
Although the entertainment district isn’t yet underway, it’s already spurred nearby development, like Ely at The Ballpark, the 229-unit apartment complex Elysian Living delivered in March, according to Homes.com.
The Astros’ entertainment district aspirations are moving forward as sports teams increasingly dip their toes into real estate development, unlocking year-round revenue streams with mixed-use projects around stadiums, parks and arenas.
In Texas alone, San Antonio is looking to build a new arena district for the Spurs as the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars plot similar entertainment districts as they near the end of their lease at American Airlines Center in Downtown Dallas.
The Astros’ entertainment district dovetails with the city’s $2 billion effort to transform George R. Brown Convention Center, which is blocks from Daikin Park.
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