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Urban Planning
The goal of the Urban Planning Committee is to enhance the District's image and amenities. The District has been active in several projects related to this goal.
This committee meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 4:00PM in the District offices. If you are looking for a committee with their finger on the pulse of the communtiy...this is it!
Midtown Park
Midtown Park, located at Bagby and Gray, is a green addition to Midtown. The plantings, fountain, and amenities of Midtown Park greatly enhance the District’s image. Multiple streetlights illuminate the park’s boundary, and the fountain lights cast a warm glow on the interior. The fast growing trees provide shade and improve air quality while the benches, chess tables, and trash receptacles support the use and maintenance of the park.
The Midtown sculptural fountain -- the centerpiece of the park -- rises sixteen feet above the plaza and brings light, cooling water and soft sounds to the bustling neighborhood. The top of the fountain features the Midtown logo with circulating water cascading to the paved plaza below. Cooling and soothing during the day, it sparkles and glistens with illumination at night.
The Midtown Redevelopment Authority/Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #2 provided funding for Midtown Park. A plaque at the fountain’s base recognizes the local businesses whose donations made it possible. Those businesses are: Bank One Corporation, Camden Property Trust, Central Bank of Houston, PrimeWay Federal Credit Union, JP Morgan Chase, Perry Homes, Post Properties, and United National Insurance Agency.
Midtown Plant & Pedal
The quintessential Midtown project this began in 2002 as "Pick up & Pedal" because at that time volunteers were mowing, weed eating, and picking up trash on the public rights of way in the community. Since then Midtown has grown by leaps and bounds. In 2009 our inaugural event featured planting the urns on Elgin Street from Hamilton to LaBranch, thus completing the MRA's pedestrian enhancements. Planting urns are available for adoption by area businesses and organizations.
Plant & Pedal 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010 - Dig in with us as we work to create a more beautiful Midtown. We're planting flowers and greenery to get ready for the Spring season and lots of visitors to our community. Meeting at Elizabeth Baldwin Park, 1702 Elgin and Chenevert, 9AM to 2PM. We provide, event t-shirts, a catered lunch, all the supplies and great door prizes! For more information please see the front page of our website or contact the coordinator: Cynthia Alvarado at 713.526.7577 ext 106 or cynthiaa@houstonmidtown.com
Street Signs
The Midtown Management District has replaced the street signs throughout the District. Not only are the streets signs helpful in navigating the community, but the signs are also an opportunity to distinguish Midtown. The street signs are printed on a black background with white lettering making the signs clearly legible for visitors unfamiliar with the area.
The signs also include the Midtown copyrighted logo which gives an attractive, artistic touch and goes a long way toward developing a “sense of touch” that urban planners are seeking for Midtown.
Pedestrian Improvements
The Midtown Management District has been awarded a grant by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) to improve conditions for pedestrians in Midtown to better access public transportation facilities. This grant allows Midtown to make pedestrian transit-related improvements such as sidewalk repairs and installation, lighting, pedestrian way finding signage, landscaping, benches, bus shelters, etc. The initial $1.5 million of this FTA grant will be used for Phase 1 of the Midtown Pedestrian/Transit Master Plan. Phase 1 includes pedestrian improvements along Elgin Street between Crawford and Main.
The District is working to secure four additional grants of up to $11.5 million for similar pedestrian transit-related redevelopment over the next 4 to 5 years. Phase 2 will include improvements on Gray Street between Smith and Main and also along Alabama Street. Phase 3 will include Wheeler Street, Elgin between Smith and Main, and Elgin between Crawford and Hamilton. Phase 4 will add improvements along McGowen Street. And Phase 5 will include Gray between Main and Hamilton and also along Holman Street. All five phases will total approximately $13 million in pedestrian transit-related improvements in the Midtown District.
Traffic Management
Spur 527 is a popular entrance for commuters into Midtown, Neartown, and Downtown, but many did not know the actual name of this roadway until recently. If traveling North on U. S. Highway 59 past the West Loop and after the new arch bridges, Spur 527 -- often referred to as the “Downtown split” -- is routed by the three lane exit on the left which reads Louisiana/Richmond. These three lanes flow onto Spur 527 with exits at Richmond, Travis, Louisiana or Brazos.
Midtown participated on the Southwest Corridor Facilitation Team in an effort to keep residents and business owners informed of the issues relating to the construction affecting traffic in the District. The Southwest Facilitation Team was a team of public agencies, management districts, and neighborhood associations working together to formulate and communicate the public’s concerns and to work with the responsible agencies to find solutions to mitigate the impact of highway and street construction. The team is currently working on proposals to provide commuters alternate routes during the closing of the Spur 527. The team worked to provide extensive information distribution to help commuters during the construction.
In addition, the Midtown Management District has been active with several governmental entities to maximize the level of services provided to the District. Meetings have been held with the City of Houston Traffic Management Department on issues regarding street signals and signage, parking meters, and crosswalks in the Midtown District. Discussions have also been held with METRO to incorporate a Circulator System in Midtown to provide easier access for residents and business owners to the METRORail.
