HUTTO – Heralded by swinging spotlights and fog machines, the company behind the development previously known as Project V was unveiled at the city council meeting on Jan. 19.
The $25 million project is a multi-faceted entertainment venue by Austin-based EVO Entertainment Group that will be part of the Townwest Commons expansion on US 79 at State Highway 130.
EVO CEO and founder Mitch Roberts said one reason Hutto was chosen was to be close to home.
“To me it’s just such a great family community. It ticks all of our boxes,” the San Marcos native said.
Since its inception in 2014 in Kyle, Roberts has grown his enterprise across five states.
The 53,300 square foot Hutto complex will be EVO’s 19th facility and their first ground-up build since Covid.
It is slated to have eight theaters, 10 bowling lanes, a large area for gaming, attractions and virtual reality, plus a bar/ lounge, patio and private event space.
The Hutto Economic Development Corporation worked with EVO for six months to solidify the agreement to bring the project to Hutto. The city approved an incentive package that included a $4 million economic development grant over 10 years and a conditional sales tax incentive of $1.5 million over four years.
Expectations for a return on investment are high, and Roberts said the venue’s annual revenue is expected to top $10 million. “They’re expected to bring in $3 million in sales tax revenue per year, which would immediately boost our sales tax revenue by 25%,” Mayor Mike Snyder told attendees at the city council meeting. “Just this one project can give us that big of an increase. That’s $3 million more a year we can use for parks, roads, sidewalks, all sorts of stuff.”
Hutto economic development director Bob Farley said the impact of the EVO entertainment complex would be huge.
“There’s property tax involved, sales-tax revenue, and there’s the sort of social impact,” Farley said. “People want to be able to do things in Hutto that they would otherwise have to drive long distances to do. So it’s a win-win for the citizens and the tax payers.”
EVO is scheduled to break ground this spring and the venue should be operational in early 2024. It is expected to support 40 full-time employees once open.
The entertainment complex was just one of many developments that the city has been keeping under wraps until the agreements are finalized. City manager James Earp announced that the next big news about a development will be at the Feb. 16 meeting.
“Save the date,” he advised the audience.
