The former Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque, Texas is entering a bold new chapter—one that reflects the future of entertainment in Galveston County. Under the leadership of Jerome Karam, founder of JMK5 Holdings, the property is being transformed into a state-of-the-art, 12,000-seat concert venue designed to offer a Las Vegas-style experience just minutes from both Houston and Galveston.
With VIP cabanas, luxury suites, and immersive live production capabilities, this new venue isn’t just a redevelopment—it’s a redefinition of what regional entertainment can be. This blog explores the vision, progress, and community impact of one of our most exciting projects yet.
Breathing New Life into a La Marque Landmark
Gulf Greyhound Park was once a bustling hub for racing enthusiasts across Southeast Texas. For years, it hosted lively crowds and created lasting memories for residents and visitors alike. But since closing in 2020, the site had remained dormant—an iconic space waiting for a second chance.
At JMK5 Holdings, we specialize in finding purpose in forgotten places. Like many of our past projects, the Gulf Greyhound Park redevelopment is rooted in adaptive reuse: taking underutilized spaces and giving them renewed life, meaning, and momentum.
We’re not just repurposing an old racetrack—we’re building a new cultural landmark that will serve the people of La Marque and beyond for decades to come.
Why La Marque? Why Now?
There’s a reason we chose La Marque for this large-scale investment. It’s a city with tremendous untapped potential—a strategically located community just off I-45, perfectly positioned between two of Texas’s busiest destinations: Houston and Galveston.
We believe La Marque is ready to step into a larger role as an entertainment and tourism destination. This venue will be a beacon—not only for world-class music acts and touring productions, but also for regional festivals, community events, and economic growth.
By investing in La Marque, we’re investing in a vibrant, sustainable future for the entire Houston–Galveston corridor.
What the New Venue Will Deliver
Our goal with this project is simple: to create a space that feels every bit as thrilling, dynamic, and high-end as any major venue in the state of Texas.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:
- 12,000-seat flexible configuration designed for concerts, festivals, and sports events
- VIP cabanas and premium suites for a truly elevated guest experience
- Upscale dining and beverage service, with menus curated to spotlight local flavors
- Next-generation sound, lighting, and video systems for unforgettable performances
- Multiple event zones for public, private, and televised productions
From parking logistics to stage design, every detail is being thoughtfully engineered to offer convenience, comfort, and class—the kind of experience that will keep artists and guests coming back.
A Cultural and Economic Anchor for the Region
We’re proud of the architectural scope of this project—but we’re even more excited about what it will mean for the local economy and the people of La Marque.
This redevelopment represents more than entertainment. It’s a commitment to revitalizing the local job market, driving new tourism, and building long-term opportunity for area businesses and families.
Here’s how we see that value playing out:
- Hundreds of jobs created during construction and venue operations
- Boost in regional tourism, especially from nearby Houston, Galveston, and surrounding counties
- Business partnerships with local vendors, performers, and hospitality providers
- Civic pride and increased visibility for La Marque across the state
When complete, this venue won’t just serve audiences—it will serve as a community cornerstone for La Marque’s ongoing growth story.
Building on a Proven Track Record
This project isn’t happening in isolation. It’s part of a broader pattern of purposeful redevelopment that defines JMK5 Holdings and the legacy of Jerome Karam.
Over the past decade, we’ve led several high-profile transformations that showcase our core mission: revitalize what’s been overlooked, and make it thrive again.
Notable projects include:
- Mall of the Mainland – Once a struggling retail center, now a thriving mixed-use campus featuring fitness facilities, medical offices, entertainment venues, and restaurants
- Falstaff Brewery in Galveston – A historic brewing site converted into a boutique hotel and luxury event space, preserving architectural charm while introducing new vitality
Each project has been a testament to our belief that redevelopment is not just about real estate—it’s about reviving economic ecosystems and reenergizing civic identity.
Designing with Purpose and Pride
The Gulf Greyhound Park redevelopment reflects our values at every level. From the design process to community engagement, JMK5 Holdings is focused on building a venue that serves as a source of local pride.
We’re collaborating with best-in-class architects, engineers, and city stakeholders to ensure this venue is:
- Visually striking and respectful of its site history
- Functionally advanced, with the latest in crowd flow, accessibility, and guest amenities
- Sustainably built, using smart materials and efficient systems
- Economically resilient, able to host a wide variety of events and scale with demand
We’re raising the bar—not just for La Marque, but for regional venue design as a whole.
Community Support and Growing Excitement
From city officials to neighborhood leaders, the response to this redevelopment has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re seeing genuine excitement build as the project moves from vision to reality.
Local residents are proud to see La Marque being recognized as a cultural center, and regional businesses are already preparing for the influx of new visitors and clients that this venue is expected to attract.
This shared enthusiasm is what motivates us to keep pushing forward—because the success of a project like this isn’t measured just in seats or square footage. It’s measured in how it inspires and uplifts a community.
This Is Just the Beginning
The redevelopment of Gulf Greyhound Park is more than a construction project. It’s a vision for what’s possible when local values, bold investment, and inspired design come together.
At JMK5 Holdings, we believe in the power of place—the power to bring people together, to elevate communities, and to create experiences that leave a lasting impact.
This venue is our next step in that journey.
If you’d like to learn more about our redevelopment philosophy, take a closer look at some of the work we’ve completed in Southeast Texas:
- The Mall of the Mainland: From Retail Wreckage to Regional Gem
- Restoring Galveston’s Falstaff Brewery: A Toast to History and Hospitality
- Our Approach to Community-Focused Redevelopment at JMK5 Holdings
Together, we’re not just building structures. We’re shaping the future—one bold project at a time.