REFRESHING THE WOODLANDS The Woodlands could see new development at The Woodlands Mall as well as an arts center and rebranded waterway in the coming years.
Key:
Mall
Retail Dining Hotel
POTENTIAL ARTS CENTER SITE 9669 Grogans Mill Road
1 PERFORMING ARTS
PROPOSAL FOR MALL DEVELOPMENT
Mall developers presented a preliminary site plan proposal adding retail, dining and hotel space.
A potential site that could be considered for a performing arts center is o Grogans Mill Road. RENDERING COURTESY THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP
E
1
*
MARKET STREET
2 THE WOODLANDS WATERWAY
45
2
THE CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION
D R .
THE WOODLANDS WATERWAY
Township o cials are looking at branding and events for The Woodlands Waterway.
T I M B E R L O C H P L .
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
JESSICA SHORTEN COMMUNITY IMPACT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
expansion which could break ground as early as 2025. The project would alter the layout and o er a more open and walkable concept reminiscent of Market Street, according to Brook eld Properties, the management com- pany overseeing the mall. The previous township board approved an economic development zone agreement with the mall devel- opers Nov. 16 that would reimburse the mall for up to $80 million for con- struction of a parking garage. Funding would come from 1% of new sales and hotel tax revenue generated within the zone. The development and con- struction of the mall do not fall under the township’s control, but township o cials said it would bene t from the additional tax revenue. “It is going to be a long process; developments don’t happen quickly unfortunately in our world,” said Jim Varsamis, senior vice president of development at Brook eld Proper- ties. “But we are in the process where we’ve kicked o with an architect, and we are starting to work on plans … that we can submit to the township for approval.” Brook eld is looking at roughly 80,000 square feet of potential new retail and restaurant opportunities where the current parking garage and Macy’s surface parking lot sits at the
southwest corner of the mall. It could include relocating a Forever 21 store, o cials said. At the Jan. 19 township meeting, Brian Whaley, manager of devel- opment and retail for Brook eld, explained the idea is to create an open, walkable environment which could attract some higher-end clients. Commercial real estate data and analytics rm Green Street released a report Feb. 8 which stated the best performing tenants in U.S. malls are higher-end retailers. It also noted a reduction in apparel-based stores in favor of more entertainment and restaurant-style businesses. The project could also include two hotels, one of which is proposed to potentially connect directly to the mall as well as o ering roughly 30,000 square feet of conference space. According to Varsamis, Brook- eld is partnering with a hotel group and putting together a package to go out early this year for hotels that t the criteria. Hotel brands being con- sidered include Grand Hyatt, Thomp- son, Kimpton and Canopy. O cials said the new hotels could bring a new wave of tourism that could be supported by the develop- ment of an arts center adjacent to The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. JJ Hollie, president of The
Woodlands Area Chamber of Com- merce, said new development is key to continuing a positive economic outlook for The Woodlands. “I think that us having new and upscale properties in The Woodlands helps to attract visitors and travel- ers to The Woodlands,” Hollie said. “That is a huge part of our economy. It really helps to drive sales tax and hotel-motel tax.” The Waterway and arts center In 2024, the township will take over management of The Woodlands Waterway from the Howard Hughes Corp., adding another potential source of revenue and development. As part of this, the township is eye- ing possible events, festivals and o erings which would continue to feed into future retail, restaurant and entertainment growth. Maintenance and operation of the Waterway will be under the town- ship’s purview, and $650,000 was budgeted in 2023 to begin taking over those costs, with $1.2 million expected in the 2024 budget, accord- ing to The Woodlands Township CEO Monique Sharp. Chief Operating O cer Chris Nunes said at the Jan. 27 strategic planning meeting that township o cials have looked at places such as Providence,
putting numbers near prepandemic levels, according to Visit the Wood- lands data. Township o cials said the numbers show tourism, which provided the boon for economic growth, is on its way to supporting additional projects. Changes potentially coming include the township’s takeover and program- ming of The Woodlands Waterway and redevelopment e orts for several local village shopping centers with low occupancy levels. Meanwhile, The Woodlands Mall is considering an 80,000-square-foot expansion. However, many of these changes will require help from outside agen- cies as well as e orts from the township’s newly reformed Ad Hoc Economic Development Committee, which was disbanded in 2020 early in the pandemic. “This is a truly remarkable commu- nity, but it’s showing its age,” town- ship Board Member Brad Bailey said at the board’s Jan. 27 strategic plan- ning meeting. “It’s almost 50 years old, and there are some areas we need to make it a priority to look at those areas and what we need to do.” Mall expansion The Woodlands Mall is poised to undergo a potential renovation and
38
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook