reimagining toyota center

$180 million renovation plan unveiled for Houston's Toyota Center

The Toyota Center is getting some major upgrades. Unveiled Wednesday, April 8, the $180 million "Toyota Center Reimagined" plan includes a new outdoor atrium and a comprehensive set of upgrades to both the downtown stadium’s public areas and its suites.

In comments at today’s Houston City Council meeting, Mayor John Whitmire stated that the costs of the project will be divided between the state and Clutch City Sports & Entertainment, billionaire Tilman J. Fertitta’s company that operates the Toyota Center, CultureMap news partner ABC13 reports. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Rockets and the soon-to-return Houston Comets. It also hosts concerts and other events.

“Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to continually invest in Houston and deliver a world-class experience for the millions of guests who visit Toyota Center and downtown Houston each year,” Fertitta said in a statement. “Toyota Center Reimagined will elevate the guest experience, introduce dynamic new gathering spaces, and ensure Toyota Center remains one of the premier sports and entertainment destinations in the country.”

The highlight of the plan is a new, 20,000-square-foot atrium that will be built at the corner of Polk and La Branch. Intended to serve as a new entrance for Toyota Center, it will feature a covered, outdoor space for pre-game events as well as a 5,000-square-foot lounge for season ticket holders.

In addition, the plans will double the size of the Rockets and Comets team store. Other changes to the exterior include reconfiguring the Bell Street entrance to provide fans with a view of the bowl and upgrade to the skybridge that connects the Toyota Center with its adjacent parking garage.

Inside, all of the venue’s luxury suites will be upgraded with new interiors and refreshed sightlines. Behind-the-scenes changes include improvements to the stadium’s fiber cable network and Wi-Fi systems to support broadcasts both inside and out.

The project will also build two new gathering spaces:

The Summit Club, a 6,000-square-foot space on the suite level with dining and lounge spaces.
The Sky Bar and HOU Market, a 5,000-square-foot space on the upper concourse with views of downtown

Courtesy of Toyota Center

A rendering illustrates the new atrium that will be built at the corner of Polk and La Branch.

Work on the project will begin when the Houston Rockets season ends. It is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027, ahead of the Republican National Convention that will take place in the summer of 2028.

"This is a significant milestone for both the Houston Rockets and the City of Houston,” said Harris County–Houston Sports Authority CEO Ryan Walsh. “As the steward of Houston’s sports venues, including Toyota Center, the Harris County–Houston Sports Authority is proud to partner in this important investment. The modernization of the arena is a critical step in maintaining Houston’s competitive edge as the premier destination for major events. These upgrades will not only elevate the fan experience, but also strengthen our ability to attract high-profile events, drive tourism, and generate economic impact across the region.”

Toyota Center isn’t the only downtown venue getting a facelift. The George R. Brown Convention Center is currently in the midst of a project that will add an additional 700,000 square feet of space, among other improvements.

downtown toyota center houston-rockets tilman fertitta

moms deserve better

New report ranks Texas as 9th worst state for working moms

Working mother, best and worst states for working moms in 2026

Photo by Filipp Romanovski on Unsplash

Texas is far from the best state for working mothers, the study determined.

A new national study comparing the best and worst states for working mothers has painted a bleak picture for Texas. The Lone Star State earned a disappointing rank as the ninth worst state for working moms in America.

WalletHub's 2026 report compared the work-life balance, childcare, and professional opportunities for working mothers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine the rankings. Metrics analyzed include the quality of daycares, childcare costs, school system quality, gender pay gaps, the share of families in poverty, female unemployment rates, a parental leave policy score, the average length of a woman's work week (in hours), and much more.

The top five best states for working mothers in America are all located in the Northeast, according to the study. Connecticut claimed the top spot nationally, and Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Vermont respectfully rounded out the top five.

Texas ranked as the 43rd "best" state overall. The bottom three worst states for working moms are Louisiana (No. 51), Alabama (No. 50), and New Mexico (No. 49).

Texas' best ranking was in the national comparison of states with the best median salaries for women, adjusted for the local cost of living. The state ranked No. 22 overall, but it earned middling and poor ranks across numerous additional categories.

The average length of a woman's work week in Texas is the fifth-worst in the country, and the state's female unemployment rate is the 11th worst nationally. The ratio of female executives to male executives in Texas is also the sixth-worst in the U.S.

Here's how WalletHub ranked life as a working mom in Texas in other categories, where a No. 1 rank is considered the best and No. 25 is considered average:

No. 26 – Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women’s salary)
No. 26 – Pediatricians per capita
No. 27 – Parental leave policy score
No. 33 – Daycare quality
No. 35 – Gender pay gap (women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s)
No. 38 – Percentage of single-mother families living in poverty

Unfortunately, Texas' poor livability for working mothers may not surprise some. Earlier this year, Texas was dubbed the No. 4 worst state for women in a separate study by WalletHub. It shouldn't be a stretch to expect better for women — who make up nearly half of the workforce — yet still get paid 82 percent of what men make per hour.

"The U.S. still has a lot of work to do when it comes to improving conditions for working moms, given the wage gap and the lack of representation women have in certain leadership positions," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

He said the best states for working mothers offer equitable pay, strong career advancement, strong parental leave policies, top notch school systems, and high quality childcare and healthcare.

wallethub texas reports women's equality