The development company is owned by The Howard Hughes Corp.
The township board of directors approved the measure at its July 20 meeting. It was required to approve the transfer of the waterway before July 23, and the conveyance is effective July 25, according to information at the meeting.
The Howard Hughes Corp. retained rights on several parcels where pedestrian bridges could potentially be built in the future, including around the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and The Woodlands Towers at The Waterway, said Bret Strong, the township's legal counsel in the matter.
What happened
- A 2008 maintenance agreement between the township and the land development company stated 15 years after the agreement took effect, the maintenance of the waterway would transfer to The Woodlands.
- The township has allocated $400,000 for expenses from August through December relating to the acquisition.
- A waterway supervisor position has been added to township staff to oversee contractors, similar to its town center superintendent and town center ranger supervisor positions.
- Agreements with many contractors will be maintained, and the amenities will be factored into the township’s capital reserve program.
- In 1972, The Woodlands was envisioned as having a waterway connection through its Town Center.
- The Howard Hughes Corp. began construction on the waterway in 1999.
- The waterway opened in 2002, and it was extended in 2004 to The Woodlands Mall.
- As of 2018, the waterway runs from Hughes Landing to the mall.
Additionally, starting in 2025, Howard Hughes will reduce its funding for streetscape enhancements to Town Center by $60,000 annually for five years, down from $300,000 annually. In exchange, the township will be granted several parcels of property, Strong said:
- A 208-acre tract of land on Gosling Road south of the Creekside Park entrance to be used for recreational development
- A 2.09-acre parcel near the Parks and Recreation Operation Center
- A 24.31-acre tract of land near Bear Branch Recreational Facility behind the recycling center
The township and The Woodlands Land Development Co. will also continue to work together on issues such as covenants, including the continued appointment of three development company members to the township’s Development Standards Committee, though the company’s $300,000 annual funding contributions toward the committee will cease, Strong said at the meeting.
What they’re saying
“This is a very historic item on our agenda and something we have looked forward to for a long time,” said Ann Snyder, chair of The Woodlands Township board of directors.
