The revitalization plan comes a year after the project’s launch in June 2024 as well as numerous planning and surveying efforts from city officials to bring the plan to life.
The overview
The plan is a collaboration between the Pearland Economic Development Corporation, the city of Pearland and Kansas City-based Olsson Studio, a national planning and urban design firm, according to the city’s website.
The plan, as Community Impact previously reported, includes the following Old Town Pearland additions, which culminated with five ideas:
- Single-unit, multi-unit and flex residential businesses
- Business, neighborhood and civic centers
- Mixed-use and transitional developments
The cost
Mayor Kevin Cole said the revitalization will be funded through the PEDC, the city, the Texas Department of Transportation and private entities.
Community Development Director Vance Wyly clarified that the plan itself is not a regulatory document and does not impose budgetary obligations. However, foundational public projects, including water, drainage, and infrastructure improvements, are estimated to cost approximately $161.3 million, according to city documents.
“This isn’t a 460-480 acre greenfield that we go out there and we just build this Old Town site and here it is,” Cole said. “This is existing infrastructure, existing structures, existing areas that will need to be revitalized and changed. This is hard and slow work—it doesn’t happen overnight.”
How we got here
Before the plan was presented to City Council for consideration, it went through the following process:
- June-October 2024: Discover Old Town
- October 2024-March 2025: Plan revitalization
- March-July: Refine plan
- May-August: Implement plan
Looking ahead
The city’s first steps for the revitalization plan is to establish an implementation committee to lead and coordinate the next phases of the plan, city documents note.
Next, Pearland will look to find a sustainable funding source for public and private investments. A long-term strategy involves establishing a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, though Texas law prevents this until 2029, according to city documents.
The five main projects will be prioritized first throughout the planning process, city documents note.
In the short term, this will mean prioritizing the first and third projects with hopes to have those projects completed within the one to two years.
Projects such as the Broadway Street realignment and the Jasmine Street pedestrian overpass will be long-term, taking three to five or more years to complete, officials said.
