HoB, Texas Style

House of Blues Entertainment has chosen Houston as the site for its next club location.

The 1,500-capacity venue will be an anchor tenant in Houston Pavilions, a $200 million development planned for the city’s downtown area.

The new multi-level HoB will encompass approximately 43,000 square feet. It’s reportedly scheduled to break ground this May and be completed in late 2007.

“It’ll be a fairly large House of Blues,” HoB’s Liam Thornton told Pollstar. “Houston is already the fourth largest city in the United States, but its downtown still needs a lot of retail and entertainment activity.”

The multi-use Houston Pavilions project – being developed by Geoffrey Jones and William Denton – will put 200,000 square feet of office space, 350,000 square feet of retail/entertainment space and a 12-story condominium tower on three city blocks.

The project will fill a zone that comprises three parking lots, according to the Houston Chronicle.

“We generally like to be in the center as opposed to out in the suburbs,” Thornton explained. “We like projects where you go into a city and you’re part of a redevelopment project … and you’re changing the nature of downtown.”

Along with the music hall, the facility will include a 225-capacity restaurant and bar. The venue will also include a general admission dance floor, seated balcony and VIP boxes, private membership Foundation Room, special events space and gift shop.

Thornton said the future HoB should bolster the city’s live entertainment scene.

“We signed to try and be in a sweet spot,” he said. “When I was in Houston, I talked to some of the club owners and they were thrilled [House of Blues] is coming down there because they think it helps everybody.”

HoB Houston will have an on-site talent buyer and will work with a variety of local and national promoters that want to bring tours through the city, Thornton added.

HoB Entertainment opened new clubs in San Diego and Atlantic City last year.

– Mitchell Peters