From the cover
Humble officials focus on reimagining downtown
The details
Two-minute impact
Since the release of the study in June, business owners have been working to create a compelling modern take on the area in conjunction with city officials through the city merchants group. The overarching vision for Humble’s downtown scene is to provide a draw for residents and other potential consumers outside of holiday events such as the annual Christmas parade and Music on Main, Wooden said. As part of this effort, city officials are looking at Main Street redesigns and new, specially designed street signs for downtown. According to the downtown assessment, the city has enough parking available but could use addi- tional flow and safety measures to make it easier for people to move around the area without having to drive consistently. To help break up the large number of professional businesses downtown, Stuebe said the city is looking at sponsoring pop-up shops for retailers and boutiques that provide business owners a low-cost option to launch a business within the downtown Humble area.
initiatives, including: • Uptown Park renovations • Downtown merchant groups • Business facade restructuring • Main Street re-engineering
Stuebe said considerations for downtown have been brought up off and on since 2014, but when the council officially decided to begin making progress on a program to revitalize downtown, the coronavirus pandemic brought it to a halt. In November 2022, the city finally brought the program up for consideration and contracted with the Texas Downtown Association to put together a study and plan that would create a new look for downtown Humble. “We’re very service-heavy and professional service-heavy in downtown right now, and everybody knows what the secret sauce is: food, beverage and entertainment,” Stuebe said. “You’ve got to give people a reason to come down there.” Stuebe said the city’s plan is to address the suggestions outlined in the downtown assessment in small pieces, which will help conserve budget funds and prevent large expenditures upfront. The assessment compared a number of downtown areas across the state and provided recommendations to implement locally. Over the next year, Stuebe said the city’s main focus will be enhancing the appearance of downtown Humble through a variety of
Stuebe noted the projects are designed to increase flow to downtown by expanding the number and types of events held in the area, as well as creating a vibrant and appealing destination for residents and visitors. Stephanie Wiggins, chief economic development officer for Partnership Lake Houston, is also leading a new merchant group of downtown business owners who meet regularly to discuss potential improvement projects to present to Humble City Council. Humble Civic Center Director Jennifer Wooden said the city is also launching new social media pages and a website to promote tourism. “We’ve never told our own story, and so we have decided if we’re not dictating the story, then we’re at someone else’s mercy,” Wooden said. “We launched the Visit Humble social media about six months ago, but we are in design for the Visit Humble website.”
Revitalization timeline
2020
Downtown Humble revitalization area
Facade restructuring
Jan. 9: The first downtown Humble revitalization workshop is held. March 11: Public health officials declare the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Funded through grants • Will help restructure business facades to create uniformity in downtown Humble
2022
Nov. 11: The Texas Downtown Association begins its assessment of downtown Humble.
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Uptown Park renovations
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• $345,000 renovation project to be completed in December • Involves clearing and remodeling the area to include an updated park space and live music area
April 21: A second downtown Humble revitalization workshop is held. May 30: The Texas Downtown Association completes its assessment of downtown Humble. June 15: The downtown assessment is presented to Humble City Council. Aug. 15: The council allocates $50,100 to begin downtown projects. Dec. 24: Uptown Park renovations are expected to be completed.
Downtown merchant group
Main Street re-engineering renovations 2
• No funding required • Downtown business owners meet regularly to present downtown improvement ideas to Humble City Council for consideration
• $12,000 re-engineering project • Will create expanded traffic flow and organized parking along Main Street between Hwy. 59 and east of Houston Avenue/Old Humble Road
SOURCE: CITY OF HUMBLE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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