Missouri City is growing. The commercial portion of city tax revenue grew from 15.17% in 2004 to 18.95% in 2007. Increases in retail sales tax and burgeoning commercial growth along Highway 6 are obvious. Think of the future impact of Lowe's alone!
However, what potentially has a greater bearing are businesses that provide jobs because they produce more demand for homes and attract other businesses that support them or their employees.
The Ben E. Keith Distribution Center will employ 350 skilled employees. The nearby Trammell Crow Lakeview Business Park is the largest development of its kind for Trammel Crow with 2.5 million square feet planned. It is
an example
of enlightened commercial development emphasizing retaining existing trees and touting its "neighboring lakes" which just happen to be the newly opened Missouri City Buffalo Run Park!
It takes time for new projects to work and provide tax revenue.
These projects are just now breaking ground and are long-term revenue streams. It took the Sugar Land TIRZ for Town Square 10 years before it dramatically increased the Sugar Land tax revenues. The TIRZ for Sienna's similar project will take the same long-term time period, and has the potential for $3.5 million in sales tax revenues alone!
It took over $4 million for Missouri City to develop that old eyesore and sand pit on Buffalo Run, but look at how having that amenity fueled growth. Its presence factored into the desirability of the land purchase and development of the Lakeview Business Park and, as the picture above shows, it is an active part of Lakeview's marketing program. (Please click on pictures to enlarge them)
The whole city counts and that's why we have to take any threat of neglect or decline in any part of the city seriously.
A short-term threat to city revenue is a decline of property values in Quail Valley. The potential impact on over 11,000 homes in Missouri City due to neglect of the Quail Valley golf properties by a private owner is a real possibility and one that the residents, without the City's help, have no control.
Talk about something that would dampen city services through declining property taxes. But there's more. Think of the negative effect to the George Johnson Development, Inc. and Civic Design Associates' contract to create a new master plan for Texas Parkway and Cartwright redevelopment paid for by Missouri City. Four hundred plus acres of neglected open space that was once beautiful would be a major obstacle to the overall project's success.
Can we afford to lose a centrally located amenity that all residents could enjoy and find pride such as the proposed city-owned Quail Valley Properties?
A city that is willing to invest in amenities for its residents and business partners is a city others are more likely to invest!
We're poised for more growth. Let's stay strong today so that we can grow tomorrow.
