Midtown Strategic Plan
Houston, Texas
Client:
Midtown Redevelopment Authority
Services Provided:
Policy Planning, Urban Design, Streetscapes, Parks
Lionheart led a five year strategic plan for the Midtown Special Financing District in Houston, TX.
Midtown Houston is a model of compact and connected urban living in the center of Houston. Residents, employees, and visitors enjoy a sustainable, walkable community with a thriving arts and entertainment scene and great parks and plazas. Since Rebecca Leonard and Steven Spears led a Livable Centers Study in Midtown in 2009, Midtown Houston has experienced enormous population growth with 10,000 Houstonians now calling it home. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent on parks, streets, and cultural facilities. This investment has been leveraged for significant private development in the district. The neighborhood is a focal point for harnessing the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community revitalization.
As such, Rebecca Leonard was contracted to create a Strategic Plan to figure out the most effective use of the money the Midtown district was collecting from its Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. Involving copious amounts of Stakeholder Engagement, planning, and cost estimation, the final document served to clearly layout various Capital Improvements the district could impose to leverage the cultural and pedestrian-oriented amenities as a catalyst to ensure more private investment back into the district. From the Midtown Redevelopment Authority’s baseline appraised value of $211 million in 1994, to the current appraised value of property in the district at over $1.6 billion, the district can issue bonds based on the increase in value. Midtown continues to prove that investments in culture and built form make neighborhoods more sustainable.
