The Houston Astros' ownership group is building a hotel and entertainment district next to Minute Maid Park, with the goal of making that part of downtown a destination not just during baseball season but throughout the year. Giles Kibbe, the Astros' senior vice president and general counsel, unveiled a schematic design for the forthcoming entertainment zone during Thursday's Central Houston State of Downtown event. He subsequently told Houston Public Media the plan is to construct a 17-story, 300-room hotel that is connected to 60,000 square feet of retail and dining space, along with a three-story gathering space where Houstonians and visitors can watch Astros games and other major sporting events on a big screen to be hung on the outside of the ballpark. "It's a big project for us," Kibbe said. "We're hoping to break ground in November of next year." 📸: Mary Benton via X #HoustonHotSpots #HoustonAstros #HoustonEntertainment #Astros #MinuteMaidPark #HoustonDowntown