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During the life of our five-year
Service, Improvement and Assessment Plan, we will address several issues
important to commercial real estate owners in the District. For details,
follow the links below:
Security and Public Safety
Planning and Urban Design
Public Relations and Business Development
Management
Assessments
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Security and Public Safety
Greater public safety will help the near northwest
area grow economically while making the District a vibrant place for
workers and residents alike. Our goal: become one of the safest
neighborhoods in the City of Houston and Harris County. We are working
to to
deter and reduce crime within the District by:
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Hiring law enforcement officers to supplement HPD
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Coordinating the security efforts of public and
private sectors
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Developing multifaceted enforcement tactics and
site-specific “zero-tolerance” programs
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Improving public awareness and disseminating
public safety information
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Providing the facilities and equipment to enforce
the law
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Developing crime prevention, drug awareness and
anti-gang programs
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Providing safety seminars for employees,
residents, schools, property owners and lessors
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Monitoring criminal activity and reporting it to
property managers, security personnel and citizens
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Initially establishing a crime deterrence task
force for retail centers and office buildings along the 290 corridor
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Monitoring new developments in deterrence
technology and successful programs in other areas, then updating
ours where appropriate
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Planning and Urban Design
Improving the area’s appearance, infrastructure and
transportation will improve property values. The District plans to:
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Develop a master plan for parks, green space, planting, landscaping,
signage, streetscaping and maintenance
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Beautify commercial thoroughfares and District boundary lines
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Upgrade and expand infrastructure
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Coordinate the efforts of property owners and other public entities
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Improve and expand holiday decorations
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Offer more displays of public art
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Encourage affordable housing
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Maximize the level of services provided by other governmental
entities
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Improve public transportation and traffic flow.
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Public Relations and Business Development
The District will develop initiatives that attract
desirable businesses to the area. Efforts will include media campaigns
designed to raise awareness of the area’s advantages and events
designed to let people “sample” the area.
Staff will help businesses, brokers, relocation
companies and meeting planners promote the area with speakers,
demographic information and presentations. The District will also
advertise the revitalization locally and nationally.
To attract more investment to the District, we
currently plan to:
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Create a positive image of the District as an outstanding place to
work, shop, build, invest and live
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Build relationships with the media
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Communicate the advantages of the District to the public
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Encourage friendly, fun events that attract people to the area
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Co-sponsor promotional events with retail establishments,
restaurants and hotels
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Coordinate corporate volunteer programs for the arts and charitable
causes
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Develop a sense of community in the area.
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Management
The District will provide support services to all
programs discussed above. These include oversight and management of
security, community planning, urban design, public relations and
business development.
The District will work to maximize the level of service
provided by other governmental entities like the City, County and
State. We will work with volunteers whenever possible.
Our objective: to provide effective and
efficient services at the lowest possible cost. District management
will be accountable for:
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Carefully monitoring and reporting the costs of all programs
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Providing annual financial audits that ensure the most efficient use
of assessments
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Ensuring compliance with the State’s Open Records and Open Meetings
Acts
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Securing competitive bids for all major purchases
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Maintaining adequate insurance protection
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Engaging property owners in decisions that affect the redevelopment,
marketing and operations of the District
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Setting an example for other management districts to follow.
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Assessments
To provide all these services, the Board of
Directors of the District has adopted a five-year plan with initial assessments on commercial
property owners of 9.0 cents per $100 of assessed valuation on
commercial real estate. In no year during this plan will the rate
exceed 15.0 cents per $100. Based on current property values, the
initial assessment should raise $633,000 to begin the area’s
redevelopment.
Back to top.We currently intend to allocate
funds as follows:
45% Security and Public Safety
20% Planning and Urban Design
20% Public Relations and Business Development
15% Management
Caps have been built into the plan to protect
property owners from dramatic increases in valuations.
Back to top.
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