Travis Bryan Midtown Park
Coming in 2024: Bowling, pickleball, theaters and more
The Bryan City Council approved a ground lease to SMBG Bryan, LLC to construct a multiuse recreation and entertainment facility on 5.6 acres in Travis Bryan Midtown Park along the southwest shore of Midtown Lake near the intersection of West Villa Maria Road and South College Avenue.
The project will include at least 24 bowling lanes, six pickleball courts (four that are indoors), an outdoor amphitheater, an arcade, movie theater rooms, premium food and beverage services, and other recreation amenities.
The facility is expected to open by Sept. 1, 2024.
Travis Bryan Midtown Park is located in the Midtown District of Bryan, Texas and is the site of a significant amount of redevelopment in Bryan’s Midtown area. The park is poised to become a world-class destination for residents and visitors, featuring outdoor athletic fields, Legends Event Center, entertainment, nature-based recreation opportunities and more.
Learn more about each part of the park below.
About the Park
Midtown Park was borne out of a vision to provide Bryanites with a recreational destination in the Midtown neighborhood of Bryan. The park integrates ecological and social approaches that promote public health, cultural awareness and environmental stewardship. Once completed, the park will be unique in purpose and design to provide a catalyst for the positive redevelopment of the entire Midtown corridor.
When the opportunity arose to transform Bryan’s Municipal Golf Course into Travis Bryan Midtown Park, the City of Bryan contracted with Burditt Consultants to develop a feasibility study and Master Plan for a new regional park.
Programming directives, identified throughout the process, are summarized under the attributes of function, form, economy and time. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
Function
- Bryan desires to create a world-class destination that is also an amenity for the local community
- Consider access and programs for all individuals in the community
- Consider an integrated ecological approach that preserves existing habitat and offers opportunities for education as well as interactive experiences with nature
- Consider safety throughout the site and delineate certain areas, inside and outside, for certain activities or groups
Economy
- Park will be both a regional destination and a significant local amenity and the quality of design and construction must be of a high level
- Operation and maintenance considerations such as access, specialized equipment, and storage must also be considered
- Plan for the long-term commitment for high quality programs and facilities
Form
- The former golf course topography, existing vegetation, lake, and surrounding community create exceptional forces to which the park plan must respond
- Design must seek to minimize environmental impacts and consider sustainable design practices and possible third party certifications from agencies such as the US Green Building Council LEED or SITES program
- Create a place of lasting beauty that makes people want to visit
Time
- The park must be built in phases, the Master Plan must identify the common support facilities, utilities and other amenities to serve all phases equally
- Phasing should be designed to provide fully functional facilities at each stage of development
Legends Event Center
The 122,300-square-foot Legends Event Center will feature a large indoor court/event space with space for up to 16 volleyball/8 basketball courts that can be used for a variety of activities, including gymnastics and wrestling meets, meetings, pickleball tournaments, archery and cheerleading competitions, boxing and soccer matches, dance and martial arts competitions, e-gaming conventions, trade shows, markets and other special events. The facility also will include concessions, an arcade, party rooms, an e-sports room, turf space and a flex space for smaller events.
The ultimate purpose of the center is to fill a need not met in the community – to create a one-of-a-kind venue unmatched anywhere nearby and increase tourism spending in Bryan. But the facility also will be available to local residents. City staff anticipate designating times for residents to use the facility, and that the party rooms and flex space will be heavily used by Bryan residents.
The facility will be located on the northwest side of the lake, further to the northern edge of the park. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2022. The facility will have its grand opening on Dec. 10, 2022.
The facility is owned by the City of Bryan and managed by Sports Facilities Companies, Inc.
Travis Fields
Travis Fields is located directly north of the main Travis Bryan Midtown Park area, on Bomber Drive. It reopened in early 2022 and features three turf fields, eight batting cages, spectator seating, shaded areas, playgrounds and more.
Tapping into a ripe youth and amateur sports market, these fields will change the landscape of baseball and softball in Central Texas. This facility will drive sports tourism to the area and continue to expand its number of fields whilst being a resource hosting Little League each year.
This facility is owned by the City of Bryan and managed by RCI Sports Management Solutions.
BigShots Golf Aggieland
As one of the first pieces of Travis Bryan Midtown Park to open, BigShots Golf Aggieland brought new recreational opportunities to the Brazos Valley. The City of Bryan partnered with BigShots Golf/ClubCorp to bring this game-changing entertainment and culinary experience to the park.
BigShots combines cutting-edge technology with a favorite pastime – golfing. Their facility features 60 game bays, a Doppler radar tracking system designed for players of all ages and skill levels. Avid golfers can play full rounds on virtual golf courses all over the world, while novice players, families and children can take part in interactive games such as knockout and pinball.
The BigShots complex also features a mini golf course, a scratch kitchen with unique food offerings and meeting room space for groups of all sizes.
Latest Updates
Travis Bryan Midtown Park
New recreation and entertainment facility is coming to Travis Bryan Midtown Park
At their special meeting on Nov. 14, the Bryan City Council approved a ground lease to SMBG Bryan, LLC to construct a multiuse recreation and entertainment facility on 5.6 acres in Travis Bryan Midtown Park along the southwest shore of Midtown Lake near the intersection of West Villa Maria Road and South College Avenue.
Legends Event Center Grand Opening is Saturday, Dec. 10
Legends Event Center’s grand opening is set for Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and will feature a variety of free activities, games, performances, food, and demonstrations on uses of the 122,000+ square-foot facility.
Improvements continue at Midtown Park
With just two months left before Legends Event Center is set to open its doors, residents passing by Travis Bryan Midtown Park may notice some changes happening at the park. The construction fencing around the park is being removed this week, but that doesn’t mean the work is complete.
Legends Event Center will be training home of Houston Skyline BCS volleyball club
Legends Event Center is excited to announce that it will be the training home for the new Houston Skyline BCS volleyball club. This partnership is the first announcement of what is to come when Legends Event Center opens in winter 2022 in the heart of Travis Bryan Midtown Park.
Legends Event Center opening only months away
Bryan residents will only have to wait a few more months to take their first steps inside Legends Event Center at Travis Bryan Midtown Park. The city-owned facility is on track to open by the end of 2022, supply chain and weather-permitting.
Track the Transformation
View photos of the progress made on park construction.
