Project imagery
Architectural rendering · The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts; design by Gensler
What we know
The Hobby Center’s A New Stage is a $45 million renovation and expansion campaign for its Downtown Houston performing-arts campus at 800 Bagby Street. Announced November 2, 2026, the program will turn an underused event area into a permanent, intimate 160-seat third performance venue with club-style seating, balcony, bar, dining service and skyline views. The campus program also refreshes the Grand Lobby, Zilkha Hall lobby and box office and adds the Kades Club hospitality lounge; Sarofim Hall technology upgrades are part of the broader improvements. Approximately $31 million had been raised at announcement. Gensler leads architecture and interior design, Charcoalblue is the theater consultant, and Forney Construction is construction manager/general contractor. Public-space work is planned for late 2026, new-venue construction for summer 2027, and completion by fall 2028; these targets are not verified construction milestones.