Texas Parkway and Cartwright Corridors

Become Part of the Future! Idea Starters . . .

Future Group Representatives, on the invitation of Llarence Turner and his 2234 Alliance, attended a presentation by Joyce Young of the George Johnson Development Group. We were pleased and impressed with the plans. So much so we met with their group and Civic Design Associates!

Their methods are straight forward, but it won't happen over night. They have an impressive track record and the Power Center is really an experience! Now a thriving multipurpose  center that was once a  building  surrounded by blight.  Not  anymore! 

Phase 1 is getting OUR ideas about what could be. It will be a challenge because we've accepted the status quo too long. Many feel frustration. It's time to channel that frustration into resolve to be part of the solution.

What is your vision of how our community along Texas Parkway and Cartwright should look and feel? What kind of shopping, services and businesses would you as a resident support?

Along Cartwright what are the eyesores that could become assets? For example, the old tennis center, whose owner allowed the property to deteriorate to the point the fence looks like the Berlin wall, jumps out immediately and influences retail centers immediately along Cartwright.

The City plans to buy that property and put in a multi-purpose, SUPERVISED recreation center and meeting place. Imagine a Farmers' Market and events like an antiques fair besides tennis, skateboard, basketball, shuffleboard, dancing, cards and fitness equipment? What might bring more people to the area that would draw new businesses and services?

Just that change to Cartwright started me thinking about sporting goods, eateries for people to gather, and a health food store to support the recreation of the center and the golf and parks. I want a canoe to enjoy the lakes in Quail Valley and other parks, and I bet you can think of a lot of things as well.

Much of the heavy traffic heading west on Cartwright is going to Sugar Land to shop. Texas Parkway has the potential for people headed to almost every area of the Greater Houston. I bet some high quality eateries would like to be near the action anywhere people gather with buying power like we have in Missouri City as would other types of businesses.

Employees from Ben E. Keith, Global Seismic and Lakeview Business Park will need places to eat, shop and live. Let's attract them and keep them in Missouri City! What would be so inviting that people started shopping and eating here and wanted to live close to the action?

Missouri City has already invested in Buffalo Run Park. What might that asset bring to the area? It already helped seal the deal for Lakeview Business Park! How might pedestrian and biking trails to Buffalo Run influence business?

Your dreams may surpass or complement mine.

By dreaming a meaningful and real plan prepared by professionals will emerge. And that's Phase 2 and where Civic Design Associates come in to provide a positive picture of the future. 

This picture will provide a basis for an integrated plan that is critical to attract the kind of jobs, businesses and services we want. Without it, we can't provide the facts the brand names require, and we'll have the picture to show them where they would fit!

Our willingness to invest in the future is attractive, but quality of life seals more deals like Ben E. Keith and Lakeview Business Park. Let's ensure we keep them spending in Missouri City, not elsewhere.

Become part of the solution March 25, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at 1524 Texas Parkway, MIssouri City Community Center.

Jump start the process now. You can comment below so we can spark off the ideas of others. There are only two rules for posts to be accepted:

1. Comments must be positive. For example, if you don't like the way a current area looks, describe how you'd like it to look.
2. Comments must be future oriented. We can't change the past. We can re-shape the future.

PS. I'm dreaming about an urban village where I can walk or ride a bike to shop, play, meet friends or make news ones! This place has tree-lined trails that connect homes to shopping and entertainment--just like my little drawing in the graphic at the top of this page. What are yours?

Become part of the solution!

To see how Civic Design Associates incorporated our ideas . . . press here.

For more info on the session published by Missouri City .

Or download the flier.Download missouricity_poster_final.pdf

To RSVP for the March 25 session or call Betty Collins at 281 409-8600.

Comments

[Douglas Parker]

I live in the Meadowcreek subdivision. I am encouraged by what the city is proposing. I just want to see some follow up. I would love to see a nice coffee shop with internet access and possible a small bookstore. Upscale restaurants would also be nice. I like living in Missouri City and especially my particular neighborhood. I do not like to drive outside of Missouri City to eat out with my family. We need to keep up the pressure on city hall to continue their efforts and make 77489 and 77459 good areas to live, work and enjoy.

[Janice Scanlan]

Carolyn Bowden of Quail Valley writes . . .

I got EXCITED just thinking about the potential.

I can deal with the time it will take......what matters to be is we are FINALLY moving toward a solution.............We should get LOTS of input.........

[Ann LeTulle Poulos]

I live in Quail Valley and I am a realtor...I am very excited about the future of our City! I agree that we need to spruce up and update our City to attract home buyers..Our unique neighborhoods have so much to offer a homeowner...we need to be proud of our City and show it so others will be proud to invest in Missouri City.

[Manuel Silva]

March 17, 2008

I am really excited that the City Is finally doing something about this side of town. I would like to see a major grocery store on the north side of the railroad tracks....on Gessner.

Manuel Silva

[Don Cooper]

Finding out why several major businesses have moved from Texas Parkway and Cartwright would seem to me to be the first step and then see what can be done to change what caused them to move.

Does it really take much longer to complete a building in Missouri City as Sugar land? I have heard this more than once. Is Missouri City business un-friendly?

Editor's Note: In the past, Missouri City's leadership policies did not promote growth. They were oriented to a bedroom community. That policy has shifted. It is going in the right direction, but needs to be clearly defined in a flexible manner to work with business. The hard part is having appearance standards that harmonize with the look and feel you are trying to achieve. For example, the visual sign pollution north of Main Street on 1092 is not desirable from the Future Group's standpoint. At the citizen's meeting the overwhelming consensus was Missouri City needed a new look on 2234--not one from our rural farm to market road past. No curbing, bar ditches, lack of lighting for long stretches, poor or lack of landscape in retail parking lots, suicide lanes instead of esplanades, all contributed to not making a positive statement about Missouri City. Low rents, high vacancy and lack of choices to reflect the buying power of the community all contribute. HEB on 6 does over $1.5M per week in sales. Kroger on 6 does $850,000. Kroger on 2234 did $100,000. Residents contend the store was dirty and did not have appealing merchandise. Larger retailers I have spoken with say that this is more a neighborhood, convenience oriented market. Changing from a convenience market may not be possible. However, it is not packaged to attract the name brands that reflect the purchasing power of a neighborhood convenience market (for example Starbuck's or Chilli's). The household income is $70,000 for Missouri City. This is $20,000 higher than in Houston. A federal grant by Missouri City Public Works is in progress in Washington to upgrade with sidewalks and biking trails, several intersection pedestrian improvements and modernizing the appearance from Turtle Creek north to north of South Main Street. Our group has written in support of this Missouri City Public Works Grant application. Improving these corridors provides a first impression. We would also like to reap more sales tax revenue from providing services to the newly developing businesses and business parks like Trammel Crow's Lakeview Business Park on the old Willowwisp Golf Course on Buffalo Run. Missouri City has some dramatic opportunities to not only grow along highway 6, but also revitalize these corridors.

[Frances Jalomo]

I would love to see the old Fieldcrest subdivision revitalized as well as the commercial areas of 2234. I have lived in Fieldcrest for almost thirty years, and our area is in desperate need of updates, especially water and sewer services, sidewalks, and repaved streets. I would also like to see some walking and biking trails that are treelined in a more natural environment, such as that in Oyster Creek Park on Highway 6.

Editor's Note: Fieldcrest is located on the west side of Texas Parkway between Cartwright Rd. and Court Rd. adjacent to the fire station.