The Telfair pull

Money for nothing? Stafford Centre's limited use raises questions about SugarLand concert venue plan

The Stafford Centre
Sugar Land City Hall

The building of a new concert and performing arts venue in Sugar Land is one step closer to becoming reality. The site proposed is near the intersection of Highway 59 and University and within the commercial grounds of Telfair, one of Newland Communities' cash cows.

Real estate prices have been rising steadily as the Telfair development nears conclusion. The affluence of residents in the area makes it prime for amenities like the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, which found a suburban home within the community's perimeter.

Last week, Sugar Land city council approved a measure that would allow bilateral discussions with developer ACE Sugar Land, LLC. According to the meeting's agenda, "the creation of entertainment venues is a key component of the City of Sugar Land’s development strategy in becoming a destination not only for employment, retail, residential and medical services, but also for entertainment."

A market analysis study in 2008 concluded that a performing arts venue would act as a catalyst for capital investment and job creation, buzz words everyone loves to hear under current economic conditions.

The city expects to purchase a 95-acre site from Newland and turn it into a multi-use environment centered around arts and entertainment. The construction of a minor league baseball stadium in Sugar Land has already begun — with the Skeeters, an Independent League franchise, set to begin play in 2012.

That's great. But given how underutilized the nearby Stafford Centre is, is the building of a 6,500 seat theater premature?

The facilities at the Stafford Centre are great. The hall has world class acoustics and seats 1,100. It's the current home of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. Parking is plentiful and access is convenient.

In April, there was only one public event listed, and the same for May. There is nothing public scheduled for July. A representative at the Stafford Centre cited being busy with private events like weddings, church and school performances, but the amount of events of wider interest are few and far between.

What makes the city of Sugar Land think that there will be more interest for a new, much larger venue that's only 15 miles away?

Sure, the size difference between the facilities means completely different event profiles. But if the interest for arts and entertainment in the area truly existed, Stafford Centre would be packed with higher profile events that show the support of the nearby community. It isn't.

Maybe they are hoping for an "If you build it, they will come" scenario.

It was a citizen-appointed committee that proposed the building of the entertainment venue in 2007. Sugar Land voters later approved for funding in a November 2008 referendum.

Another performing arts venue to keep an eye on is the historic Lakeview Auditorium. Owned by the Fort Bend Independent School District and operated by the Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation, it is currently undergoing capital improvements and aiming for a September grand opening. The 400-seat theater will be suitable for small recitals, chamber music, comedy and smaller community theater.

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housing news

Houston ranks among top 10 U.S. cities for mobile home living

Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash

Manufactured homes have come a long way from the "trailers" of the past, according to StorageCafe.

As Houston residents navigate the city's fluctuating real estate market, manufactured homes – also known as mobile homes – are gaining traction among potential buyers seeking an affordable path to homeownership.

A recent housing study found Houston ranks among the top 10 U.S. cities with the largest mobile home inventory. Texas, as a whole, has the second-highest share of manufactured housing in the nation.

StorageCafe's housing insights report analyzed the supply of manufactured housing inventory, average sales prices of new manufactured homes, and compared pricing trends against the median value of all housing units (regardless of construction date) across all 50 states and 100 U.S. cities.

The report's author hails manufactured housing as "a cornerstone of affordability" in the country, with just under 8 million mobile homes representing about 5.4 percent of the U.S. housing supply.

There are 776,232 manufactured homes in Texas, the report found, which is 6.2 percent of the state's entire housing stock. Houston is home to the 8th highest number of mobile homes in the nation, at 10,953 units.

Here's how the rest of the top 10 shakes out:

No. 1 – Mesa, Arizona (29,335 units)
No. 2 – Phoenix, Arizona (20,564 units)
No. 3 – Jacksonville, Florida (15,393 units)
No. 4 – Largo, Florida (14,131 units)
No. 5 – Tuscon, Arizona (14,128 units)
No. 6 – San Jose, California (11,668 units)
No. 7 – San Antonio, Texas (11,208 units)
No. 8 – Houston, Texas (10,953 units)
No. 9 – Los Angeles, California (10,622 units)
No. 10 – Sunrise Manor, Nevada (9,952 units)

Why manufactured home living is gaining popularity
Affordability is of the main reasons Texas residents are turning to manufactured home living. The average sale price for a mobile home in Texas was $112,500 in 2024, or less than half of the median sale price for all Texas homes ($313,200).

The report specifies that the cost for a manufactured home does not include the cost of land in the same way that a conventional home does. Depending on zoning and local laws, residents who own a mobile home either lease the lot their home sits on, or they have to purchase a lot outright.

"Most manufactured homes sit either in parks (land rent, higher exposure to rent hikes or park closures) or subdivisions (you own the land)," the report said. "In some communities, resident-owned cooperatives (co-ops) allow homeowners to collectively purchase the land beneath their homes. This setup provides stability and protection against rising lot rents, which can otherwise affect those living in privately owned parks."

Nevertheless, StorageCafe maintains that the generally lower cost of a manufactured home still makes it a viable path to homeownership. Affordability is especially crucial for younger adults like Gen Zers and Millennials who also don't want to "compromise on quality or independence."

"Today’s younger buyers value flexibility, efficiency, and minimal maintenance, and many are drawn to simpler lifestyles that align with financial freedom and mobility," the report said. "With the rise of remote work, more Millennials and Gen Zers are exploring the idea of living affordably in smaller, well-designed spaces, often in communities with shared amenities or scenic settings that were once thought to appeal only to retirees."

Manufactured homes have also experienced a "glow up" in recent years, the report added. Most manufactured homes have open floor plans, "stylish interiors," and come equipped with modern amenities like smart-home technology and energy efficient features.

"As a result, they’re no longer viewed as a fallback option, but rather as a savvy, forward-thinking path to homeownership for cost-conscious Americans of all ages," the report said.

Mobile home living elsewhere in Texas
Other than San Antonio in Houston in the top 10, there were 12 more Texas cities that ranked among the top 100. El Paso came in at No. 16 with 7,089 mobile homes in the city, and Laredo ranked two spots behind with 6,785 units.

Here's how other Texas cities fared in the report:

No. 20 – Dallas (6,195 units)
No. 21 – Austin (6,184 units)
No. 22 – Fort Worth (6,069 units)
No. 29 – Corpus Christi (4,823 units)
No. 34 – Pharr (4,409 units)
No. 48 – Arlington (3,818 units)
No. 60 – Mission (3,207 units)
No. 65 – Bryan (3,063 units)
No. 67 – Edinburg (3,407 units)
No. 98 – Denton (2,441 units)

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