CHIPPING AWAY AT THE MUSEUM DISTRICT 
Those little tree topper signs have been up throughout the larger neighborhood for a while now, but the new Boulevard Oaks Historic District was only approved by City Council this week. The designation means you’ll now have to wait 90 days before you can demolish that rambling South Blvd. mansion you just picked up. At the same meeting, council members approved an 8-acre extension to the Midtown TIRZ that takes a bite out of the Museum District. The area includes the new locations of Asia House, the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, and the Museum of African-American Culture. [Houston Chronicle, via Slampo’s Place] Photo: WhisperToMe
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The expansion of the Mitown TIRZ does not mean the Museum District is smaller and Midtown is larger. The TIRZ boundary just means they can use their large availability of funds to repairs streets and sidewalks in the neighborhood like they are doing to many streets in Midtown.
I welcome it. It means improvements can happen quicker since waiting on the city to funded has been eliminated. The three Museums now in the boundary can get streetscapes and other work done through this.
Is there a place to view a map of the expansion? I couldn’t find anything on Google.
This is great news. Also… KJB, note that if someone is a part of the Midtown TIRZ, they are a part of Midtown because they are drawing money from the rest of the neighborhood. Midtown already goes down into the Museum district (not updated yet with today’s news)
http://www.houstonmidtown.com/cmsFiles/Files/Midtown_DevMap_1206.pdf
Not so Brian, Midtown TIRZ wanted to annex much of the 4th ward on the west side of downtown in the past to allow for massive redevelopment. Would have 4th ward have become Midtown?
The TIRZ is just a taxing district. I hope the Uptown TIRZ does represent what is only Uptown, then that would be an extremely weird boundary. Or the Memorial Heights TIRZ (TIRZ #5) represent Memorial Heights since it annexed a large chuck south of Allen Parkway around the future Regent Square development.
KGB, fourth ward WOULD have been Midtown if annexed. You’re forgetting that Midtown already took over third ward on the west side of the freeway (we call it Midtown now, not third ward). Midtown’s boundaries have grown over the years, and anyone they collect taxes from is part of the district. Look at the map I posted earlier. It’s directly from Midtown’s website. Midtown already has expanded into the museum district. Just because you think of Midtown as a certain area… does not mean it will be that way for good.
You’re also forgetting that the museum district and Midtown used to be one big neighborhood. It wasn’t until the freeway came through that split it apart. Think of Midtown as just a neighborhood coming back together.
Midtown TIRZ wanted to annex much of the 4th ward on the west side of downtown in the past to allow for massive redevelopment.
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Massive redevelopment or just the final gentrification effort?
what happens when a TIRZ expands? Do city revenues from the new area freeze with any increase going to the TIRZ from now on?