SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
Reinvestment Zone Number Eight, City of Houston, Texas (“Zone”) was created by City Council (“City”) by Ordinance No 1997-1524 on December 10, 1997, initially encompassing approximately 67 acres. Subsequently, City Council approved a Project Plan and Reinvestment Zone Financing Plan (“Plan”) for the Zone by Ordinance No. 1997-1572 on December 17, 1997, and created the Gulfgate Redevelopment Authority by Resolution No. 1997-0066 on December 10, 1997 to implement the Plan.
The City approved the First Amendment to the Plan by Ordinance No. 1997-0707 on July 7, 1999; the Second Amendment to the Plan by Ordinance No. 1999-0824 on August 11, 1999; the Third Amendment to the Plan by Ordinance No. 2014-1193 on December 17, 2014; and the Fourth Amendment to the Plan by Ordinance No. 2018-1024 on December 19, 2018. The City approved enlarging the boundaries of the Zone by Ordinance No. 1999-0706 on July 7, 1999 (adding 185 acres), Ordinance No. 2014-1192 on December 17, 2014 (adding 7,769 acres), and Ordinance No. 2018-1023 on December 19, 2018 (adding 13.55 acres).
The proposed annexation will add approximately 200 acres of land into the Zone boundaries, including Sims Bayou Park, Robert C. Stuart Park, Reveille Park, and Blackhawk Park; vacant land suitable for potential workforce/affordable housing; Mosley Road, from Airport Blvd. to Scranton St.; Telephone Road, from Dixie Dr. to Oak Vista Street; Almeda Genoa Rd., from Ballantine St. to Blackhawk Boulevard; and Blackhawk Boulevard, from Almeda Genoa Rd. to north of Fuqua. A Fifth Amendment to the Plan, to be considered by City Council contemporaneously with this proposed annexation, includes provisions for public improvements for the enlarged area.
Accordingly, the Administration recommends that City Council approve enlarging the boundaries of the Zone.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Andrew F. Icken, Chief Development Officer