GOVERNMENT County o cials, nonpro ts partner on $2.5M a ordable housing project
DEVELOPMENT New partnership sparks hope for historic Imperial Sugar’s landmark restoration
2023 HOME EDITION
“FORT BEND COUNTY PRIORITIZES PEOPLE. THEY PUT PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL.” RON REYNOLDS, DISTRICT 27 STATE REPRESENTATIVE
BY JOE EDWARDS
director of the Sugar Land O ce of Economic Development, via email. The approach The undertaking includes a range of additions, including retail spaces, o ces, multifamily units and the potential addition of a boutique hotel, according to the release. The property’s historic structures, such as the eight-story Char House, the “three-bay” warehouse, the engineering building, the water tower and the smokestacks of the old power plant, will be repurposed to maintain their legacy, per the release. Zooming in Mark Toon, CEO of PUMA Develop- ment, said via email the Sugar Land site is as an ideal location to establish a community that celebrates the past and embraces the future. Once the existing buildings are repurposed, PUMA and Colliers will
BY ASIA ARMOUR
The Imperial Sugar Factory may nally see new developments in the near future with a new collaboration. Current situation PUMA Development Company, in collaboration with the city of Sugar Land and Colliers Company, announced a partnership for the redevelopment and leasing of the Imperial Sugar Company site, accord- ing to a June 19 news release. While the redevelopment project is temporarily named “Project Sugar,” the community will be included in the future naming process as the mixed-use redevelopment unfolds across 40 acres. “The city of Sugar Land is thrilled to be working with a dedicated partner, whose commitment to the preservation of the historic district is closely aligned with our primary focus,” said Devon Rodriguez, deputy
“This day has been a long time coming, but it’s just the beginning of new programs,” Gro said. At a June 14 news conference, Gro stood alongside County Judge KP George, Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy, District 27 state Rep. Ron Reynolds, nonpro t leaders and other Fort Bend County o cials to discuss the details of this initiative. Zooming in Shannan Stavinoha, executive director of Parks Youth Ranch, a nonpro t that provides emergency shelter and counseling to abused and neglected youth, said the $2.5 million will be used to create a bridge-gap service center. The service center will connect residents at risk of losing their housing with employment assistance, tempo- rary housing, behavioral health care, medical care and other resources
Aaron Gro , Fulshear mayor and vice president of Attack Poverty, anticipates the October opening of a $2.5 million service center to provide resources to Fort Bend County resi- dents experiencing housing insecurity. The overview These American Rescue Plan Act dollars were dedicated to the housing initiative at a June 13 Commissioners Court meeting in a unanimous vote. The resource center, which will be centrally located in Rosenberg along a bus route, is the rst phase of a collab- orative a ordable housing solution in the county, Gro said. This comes after a February proposal by a group of nonpro ts to utilize $53.45 million in unspent federal relief funds as seed money for a multiphased housing project to address the county’s homelessness.
This rendering showcases some of the potential changes Sugar Land residents might see at the historic Char House site. (Rendering courtesy Sugar Land)
Local o cials and nonpro ts discussed an a ordable housing initiative at a June 14 press conference. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
focus on attracting restaurants and retail brands to the development, per the news release. Toon has estimated the project cost to be about $1 billion, but not all of the cost will be taken on by PUMA Development, as previously reported by Community Impact. Additionally, construction on the Char House is expected to begin in late 2023 and end in 2025, following City Council’s consideration and approval of the nal development plan late this summer, Sugar Land
Communications Director Doug Adolph said via email. The outlook Rodriguez expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting the shared dedication to preserving the historic district and creating a development that sets a precedent for future generations. “We look forward to building a development that trailblazes for future generations of Sugar Landers,” she said.
needed to sustain housing. “The idea is to get in front of families who are unstable in hous- ing, [who] are that one paycheck away [from losing their housing],” Stavinoha said. Diving in deeper O cials agreed that this housing solution will address the root causes of homelessness and empower the community to go beyond
temporary housing and move toward long-term sustainability. Nonpro t Attack Poverty col- laborates with local organizations, churches and residents to create community programs. “This is not just a project that we were putting together for tomorrow,” Attack Poverty CEO Brandon Baca said. “This is a project that we’re putting together that will sustain the impact on these individuals.”
SUGAR LAND 3335 HWY 6 S (281) 313-4446 MISSOURI CITY 5418 HWY 6 (281) 403-0400
SUGAR CREEK 13827 Southwest Fwy (281) 491-8628 SIENNA PLANTATION 9034 Sienna Crossing Dr (281) 778-9959
NEW TERRITORY 5720 New Territory Blvd (281) 491-0811
Powered by FlippingBook