Missouri City advances Texas Parkway Redevelopment plan

Missouri City is moving forward with a revitalization plan for Texas Parkway after signing a design contract to improve infrastructure and potentially build a mixed-use development. The city has required the plan to be completed within 90 days since the agreement was signed. 

The Texas Parkway Corridor has been a priority site for reinvestment and redevelopment within the city for decades. Much of the city’s interest in the corridor is built off a study conducted in 2008 identifying the area as having strong demographic fundamentals ripe for supporting development and achieving the city’s long-term goals. 

With the contract settled, the city will finally be able to capitalize on and advance commercial and retail opportunities along the corridor. As part of the revitalization plan, the city will work to turn the corridor into an active mixed-use environment to support economic development, improve quality of life and strengthen interconnectivity between residential, commercial and civic areas. 

The city anticipates approaching the revitalization project from two coordinated initiatives: Texas Parkway Corridor Improvements and the Catalyst 1 Project. 

The first round of enhancement will primarily center around transitioning the corridor from a rural roadway to urban configuration. These may include: 

• Drainage improvements. 
• Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. 
• Aesthetic upgrades. 

Once completed, the corridor will have better safety, mobility, visual character and will promote private investment. 

The Catalyst 1 Project has been in the works for over a year after the city council bought 20 acres to establish a mixed-use site and downtown area. The resulting project will create Downtown Missouri City, bolstered by infrastructure work on streets, drainage, water and electric utilities. 

The mixed-use town center will be located near city hall and Houston Community College. Going forward, the city will develop a comprehensive conceptual plan, identify stakeholders and partners and create an implementation framework to guide development. 

Missouri city isn’t the only municipality to refresh and modernize its downtown area. The city of Lockhart is on track to finish their revitalization efforts in the nine-block area around the Caldwell County Courthouse. Other cities – including Liberty Hill, Waco Hill and Grand Prairie – have similar visions for redefining and bolstering their commercial and residential opportunities to spur growth. 

Photo by Jason Goh from Pixabay