Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen delivered his State of the City address Thursday, during which he reviewed the city’s recent accomplishments and outlined future goals, including investment in economic development and implementation of a connector bus service. Economic development Population continues to grow as more people move to the city, and business development is thriving, Owen said. “To the north, industrial expansion along U.S. 90A and Beltway 8 [continues],” he said. “On U.S. 90A, Best Buy is building a 550,000-square-foot distribution center.” FedEx also opened a ground distribution center in that region, and it was anticipated to bring over 350 new jobs to the city, Owen said. Companies such as VWR International, Niagara Bottling Company and LT Foods USA have also established operations near industrial sites along Hwy. 90A. Another asset includes the new Houston Community College campus on Texas Parkway—a $25 million investment. “It is the largest, single capital investment made on Texas Parkway in more than 20 years,” Owen said. City Council also approved April 16 its first economic development plan, which includes recommendations for implementation. The plan cites strategic opportunities such as expending efforts to revitalize commercial spaces along Texas Parkway, Cartwright Road and other retail and service areas; recruiting additional businesses; developing entertainment or sports complexes to generate revenue; and establishing a Type A or Type B economic development corporation fund. “Right now, my fellow council members and I are prioritizing which aspects of the plan we want city staff to implement first,” Owen said. Infrastructure The city is also making strides in infrastructure improvements, Owen said. “In 2017-18, maintenance [work] was done on more than 90,000-square-feet of streets and sidewalks city-wide, including Trammel-Fresno [Road], Hurricane Lane and Gregory Boulevard,” he said. Construction work is still ongoing at various roadways, including Ashmont and Adams streets, he said. “We’re also in the design phase for [projects on] Independence [Boulevard] segments 1 and 2, Staffordshire Road, Waterfall Drive, Knight Road extension, the Glenn Lake Bridge over Oyster Creek and the regional treatment plant phase II expansion,” Owen said. City Council recently approved a resolution to implement a community connector bus service in collaboration with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, providing necessary transportation services to residents 14 hours each day, seven days a week for a fare of $1.25. Crime rate Missouri City was ranked by home security organization Safe Home as the 13th safest city in Texas in 2017. “In 2017, we saw an almost across the board drop in reported crimes from the previous year,” Owen said. Part I crimes, which includes murder, robbery, larceny and motor vehicle theft, saw an overall 16 percent decrease, he said. Property crimes also dropped 24 percent from 2016 to 2017. “Part II crimes, which includes forgery, fraud, embezzlement, vandalism, stolen property and disorderly conduct among other [crimes], also saw a 16 percent decrease,” Owen said.