Consultant recommends EDC-owned Legacy Square be renovated as arts campus, urges operator RFPs and fundraising

Duncan, the consultant who led the feasibility study, told the Tomball Economic Development Corporation that the project should proceed in two phases: a needs assessment followed by a business plan tied to an operator-led operating model. He said the 30-minute drive-time market will include about 1.5 million people by 2030 and shows demographic demand for arts participation in Tomball and the surrounding area.

"There are gaps in the regional inventory," Duncan said, describing a market opportunity for venues in the roughly 900–1,500-seat range and recommending that the sanctuary be adapted as a music-forward performance space with flexible seating. He advised using the historic chapel for visual arts and roughly 2,500 square feet of gallery/classroom space and converting Fellowship Hall into an arts-education center with studios, rehearsal space and a small working theater.

Duncan presented financial benchmarks and cautioned that operating income alone should not be relied on to fund renovation. He said benchmarking for a chapel cafe suggested rents near $26 per square foot, while other venue rents might reasonably range $5–$10 per square foot, and that those assumptions could generate about $600,000 a year in incremental revenue for the EDC under an operator-rent model. For capital, Duncan recommended relying on public-sector capital that does not depend on the site's operating income plus private philanthropy and naming gifts.

Using a hypothetical $25 million renovation, the consultant estimated construction could generate roughly $36 million in county economic impact, about $9 million in new earnings and approximately 144 person-years of construction employment. He also projected annual operating impacts of about $5.8 million in new sales, $1.6 million in new earnings and roughly 41 new county jobs in addition to on-site staffing.

Duncan urged the EDC to retain ownership of the property and to use three targeted Requests for Proposals (one per major building) to recruit operating partners. He recommended nonbinding memoranda of understanding with preferred operators before committing to renovation spending and suggested running a fundraising feasibility tied to operator commitments to confirm capital support before design and construction.

EDC members asked about the consultant's prior experience converting churches to arts venues; Duncan said his group has been involved in roughly a dozen such projects. Members discussed phasing and the trade-offs of starting with one building versus pursuing a comprehensive project. Several speakers encouraged Bauer-style staging—start with a smaller, less expensive phase (for example the chapel) to test operations and funding before expanding.

The consultant framed capacity as a key early decision: the church now seats about 700 (roughly 550 on the first floor and 150 on the balcony), staff said. The study recommended an 800–1,000-seat range as an optimal maximum that preserves flexibility (removable seating) and higher average utilization in the 600-range. EDC staff noted that capacity drives parking, code requirements and cost.

Next steps outlined by the consultant and staff included: issuing RFPs to test operator interest, pursuing MOUs with candidate operators, conducting fundraising feasibility tied to the operator and capital budgets, and then moving to phased planning, design and construction only once operating partners and capital commitments are reasonably assured. The meeting produced no formal vote; EDC members said they will continue deliberations and hold additional meetings.

(Reporting note: all figures are the study's estimates or staff summaries presented during the meeting.)