Urban cowboys, hold your horses: A Gilley’s rebirth is in the works near the Ship Channel, but it will be neither as rootin’ nor as tootin’ as its world-famous Pasadena ancestor. Last month La Porte’s city council approved a proposed general plan for the La Porte Town Center, a $55-million mixed-residential-and-retail-and-sports-and-entertainment district anchored by a Mickey Gilley’s Family Entertainment Center.

Modern-day Wes Hightowers would best look elsewhere to shoot mezcal and brawl — a floorplan for the dancehall shows that the 50,000-sq.-ft. facility is geared towards more wholesome pastimes, offering “Branston-type stage performances”, roller skating, laser tag, billiards, video games, boutique bowling, bumper cars, a Western duds shop and a cafe. The inevitable mechanical bull is located by the entrance to the restrooms:

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The dancehall-entertainment complex is only a small part of the proposed 20-acre Town Center development, to be located along Highway 146 by the Bay Forest Golf Course (and not far from Sylvan Beach Park, LaPorte’s once-nationally-renowned bayside dance pavilion.) Also in the cards for the area: a 114-room hotel with conference center, a “heritage park”, a 90,000 square foot retail cluster, and a “professional 18-hole miniature golf, bumper boats, and water feature entertainment venue,” all linked by hike and bike trails. New townhomes are also planned nearby. Seabrook native David Miles is the lead developer of the project, through his company Turfway.

• Will the proposed Gilley’s in La Porte have a mechanical bull? [Pasadena Citizen]

• New Gilley’s dance hall included in proposed La Porte Town Center [Houston Chronicle]

• Developer Seeks Approval For “La Porte Town Center” Entertainment Complex [Bay Area Observer]

Sketches and renderings of proposed Gilley’s: Heritage LP