Rep. Bohac Announces Exciting Quality of Life Improvements in West Houston
Areas in and around Spring Branch will benefit from investments in major Office, Retail, and Residential Construction
Houston, TX -- State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) is pleased to announce that major Class A office, retail and residential improvements are coming to West Houston. MetroNational, Hines, the Spring Branch Management District and TIRZ 17 are working in conjunction to add exciting mixed-use space in the Spring Branch and Memorial areas.
"To improve property values and enhance our local quality of life,” Bohac said, “it is vital that our area has quality, well-planned, thoughtful development along with corresponding infrastructure improvements. Class A business and mixed-use retail/residential development will help insure that our area continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
MetroNational has a number of exciting projects underway. Air Liquide recently announced plans to move its American corporate headquarters from the Houston Galleria area to Memorial City. The Air Liquide Center will consist of a 20-story, 452,000 square-foot tower. Within the last two years, four major international, publicly traded companies, have decided to relocate to Memorial City and will occupy 750,000 square feet of office space.
In addition to these developments, the Hines Company has plans to develop a 109-acre parcel along the east side of Beltway 8 between Kempwood and Clay Road. The development, while still in the planning stages, is slated to be a mixed-use corporate park with 4,000,000 square feet of first class office, hotel and retail.
"This private sector commitment will have a domino effect in and around our community,” Bohac said. “Professionals and families will be looking to move into the area, which will increase property values and the quality of our housing inventory. Transportation, public safety and infrastructure improvements are already underway to support this Spring Branch renaissance.”
In an effort to improve drainage, mitigate flood damage and relieve traffic flow, MetroNational and TIRZ 17 are working together to redesign the Conrad Sauer Detention Basin, which will not only increase its capacity, but its efficiency. This project will remove an eyesore from the community, improve mobility and help stabilize the properties in the immediate area, while also providing much needed green space with walking and cycling pathways, landscaping, wet bottom and grassy park areas. MetroNational will give right-of-way for the construction of a new road to provide access from Gessner to the detention pond and will donate additional land to increase size of the detention facility. The land being given to the TIRZ is nearly 2 acres and is valued at $4 million. Soon, Spring Branch will have a central meeting space and “town square” in which to gather and do such things as take in a Forth-of-July fireworks celebration as a community.
"Our community will benefit greatly from the proposed developments coming to the area,” said Rep. Bohac. "More jobs will be brought to West Houston and employees will need a place to live. Spring Branch—the “Affordable Memorial”—and communities in the Energy Corridor are the logical target neighborhoods. Residential areas long in need of redevelopment will experience quality revitalization. New business, retail, entertainment and restaurant spaces will follow that residential rebalancing. All these developments working together will help improve the local quality of life for all of our West Houston families."
On November 6, 2012, Representative Dwayne Bohac was re-elected to represent House District 138 for a sixth term. He is a small businessman and lifelong District 138 resident.