In January 2020, the city held the first of several planned workshops to discuss revitalizing the downtown area, but those efforts were ultimately put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, Humble city council members approved an agreement with the Texas Downtown Association to assess the city’s downtown area in advance of the project.
According to City Manager Jason Stuebe, the assessment will likely begin in the first quarter of 2023.
“We’re in the queue right now,” Stuebe said. “It does take time to do these things.”
Stuebe noted the city hopes to receive the results of the assessment by spring of next year.
According to Stephanie Wiggins, chief economic development officer of Partnership Lake Houston, the assessment will help officials determine the priorities associated with the project.
“[The Texas Downtown Association will] assess it and we'll figure out where our strengths or weaknesses are, what opportunities we have, and then make a priority list from there,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins noted there were some short-term plans the city could achieve prior to the official project being implemented, including the installation of planters along some of the streets in the downtown area.
“I've been talking to CenterPoint [Energy] about doing some street lighting upgrades,” Wiggins said. “When you start seeing things like that, it gets the community excited.”
Wiggins noted the improvements will be a long-term project once implemented.
“It's not going to be an overnight beautification project,” she said. “If you start making those small-term lists or short-term goals that the community can see, there's going to be more buy in.”
