After several months negotiating with the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, the Rockets finalized a deal to pay half of the constructions costs, and a referendum was set for November 2.
Nakon nekoliko mjeseci pregovora sa sportskim vlastima grada Houstona, Rocketsi su finalizirali dogovor da plate polovicu troškova gradnje nove dvorane, a održavanje referenduma zakazano je za 2. studenog 1999.