The big picture
The council is set to vote Feb. 18 on a plan to acquire the 45-acre property, which is home to the former Imperial Sugar site and the Char House, according to a Feb. 14 news release from the city.
The district is the city’s No. 1 priority for strategic redevelopment and creates an opportunity to lay the foundation for future revitalization projects, according to the release.
The cost
The acquisition will be funded by a $50 million certificate of obligation, which will be paid for using sales tax revenue designated for economic development, according to agenda documents for the Feb. 18 meeting. No property tax will be used.
One of the longest-operating businesses in Texas, Imperial Sugar was founded by Samuel, Nathaniel and Matthew Williams, according to the release. It served as a hub for Sugar Land residents until June 2003 when the Imperial Sugar Refinery closed, Community Impact reported.
Since its closure, several developers have had failed attempts at the Char House project, Community Impact reported.
SLP-90A LTD, an affiliate of Hunton Group, is the current property owner for most of the site. Dhanani Private Equity Group, a company behind regional multifamily projects in the region, owns other large parcels within the district, according to the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District website.
The most recent attempt to revitalize the area was a roughly $1 billion proposal from Houston-based entrepreneurial firm Puma Development in December 2022, who wanted to turn the area into a mixed-use project featuring retail, entertainment, offices and housing.
The project stalled in August after Puma faced financial and market challenges, but Puma officials told Community Impact at the time the company remained committed to developing the Imperial Sugar site.
Seeing multiple project failures, Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman said both residents and city officials have been disappointed by these attempted developments and want to see positive change for highlighting the area’s history.
“Twenty-two years after the refinery closed, 22 years of a slow, painful decline, I think we can say that our city, our history and our namesake, the Imperial Char House deserves better,” Zimmerman said in the project announcement video on Facebook. “We’re not going to keep trying the same thing and expecting a different result—this representation of our history and roots deserves a trailblazing step and a bold change.”
If approved, the city hopes to select a private development partner and begin negotiations on a Master Development Agreement by the end of this year, according to the project website. Community Impact reached out to Puma for a comment on whether it will still be involved in the project, but the request wasn’t returned by press time.
In their own words
Acquiring the historic district is a “crucial step” in preserving the city’s namesake while also planning for its future, Zimmerman said in the release.
“Our priority is preserving the Char House and preventing further deterioration as we work to identify a future developer that has an exceptional vision for the property,” he said. “We recognize past redevelopment challenges, and with this acquisition, we are taking a hands-on approach to ensure its revitalization benefits future generations.”
Next steps
If approved by City Council, the city plans to close on the property at the end of May and then will focus on taking steps to preserve the Char House including “mothballing,” according to the project website.
Mothballing is a preservation effort to control long-term deterioration of an unoccupied building. According to the project website, specific efforts for the Char House will include:
- Structurally securing the building
- Protecting the exterior from moisture
- Securing the building to reduce vandalism
- Providing ventilation to the building interior
