February 17, 2003

Houston Downtown Management District 

Houston Downtown Management District Executive Director Bob Bradford informed the board of directors last week that the downtown district would likely lose most of the $15,000 it contributed to a downtown Super Bowl kick off party that was scheduled for February 1. 

The loss of the Columbia space shuttle that day forced cancellation of the event. Bradford said the losses might be recouped if the event is rescheduled, but that canceling the party was “absolutely the right thing to do.”

Tom Davis, director of construction for the district, reported that the final pieces of steel would be placed in the George R. Brown Hotel buildings this month.  He also noted that Main Street construction would be completed within the year and that the massive downtown road construction and sidewalk improvement project is more than halfway completed.

He acknowledged that those projects are funded primarily by the city, but said the downtown management district has contributed millions of dollars to the effort. 

Bradford reviewed the group’s contributions and goals. Listen

The board approved the purchase of a replica of the clock that used to be on Texas and Main. The $27,000 project was not advertised for bids because only the Verdin Company, the original clockmaker, owns the molds. 

Guy Hagstette, director of capital projects and planning, said the clock will “serve as a gateway into downtown.” The original clock is now at the Hobby Center at Bagby and Capitol.

The board discussed the challenge of attracting residents into downtown. Bradford said that there are more incentives right now to build hotels and commercial buildings than housing. He said the district should look into providing incentives to build affordable lofts downtown.

Board Member Bill Franks, developer of the Sam Houston Hotel, said that he had "looked at the numbers" on building housing on some downtown blocks. “The only way to make it work, is to go very, very high, which gets very expensive. It doesn’t work unless you go 26 stories high.” 

Franks said a person making less than $40,000 a year would not likely be able to afford to live downtown. “We need a good low-rise product. We are forcing people to the suburbs because that is where the affordable housing is.”

Council Member Carolyn Alvarado, whose district includes downtown, agreed that for it to come alive, an economic cross-section of people needed to live there. She praised the group’s efforts in the refurbishing of downtown, and promised that the city council would continue to work with the management district.

All action items on the board's agenda were approved.