Photo by courtesy The Woodlands DeTim Welbes
Co-president, The Woodlands Development Company
What have been the biggest challenges in developing The Woodlands?
To have a great land plan for a parcel as large as The Woodlands land mass, we have to forecast demand and to procure the financing for the development. Financing is an integral part of any successful development. And there's much more to talk about challenges of developing The Woodlands: road and transportation construction, coordination with the school districts and the governmental agencies that have control over the development. It is very comprehensive. The number of entities that get involved in development are large and they all have to work together to be successful.
What project are you most proud of?
For me, the pride kicks in equally for seeing a large crowd of people have a great time at the Pavilion, along with the urbanity we have seen in the Town Center—the mall and Market Street. The same amount of pride applies if you drive out to neighborhood parks, and I see a child and a parent interact, having a great time, having some moment in life that is made better by what we have caused to be built here.
What lies ahead for The Woodlands?
To complete the building of the master plan, and the revitalization that is happening, or will happen, as we move forward. Examples of revitalization include our remodeling of The Woodlands Conference Center, and we are preparing to do another rebuild of the Conference Center. The mall's response to Market Street was to do an expansion. All of these shops from Barnes and Nobles to Anthropologie, that was all a revitalization.
Where do you see growth opportunities, as far as development, in The Woodlands?
We are going to continue to grow the residential homes, parks, pathways, churches and schools in the suburban part of The Woodlands, whereas in the Town Center and the East Shore area, there is a larger variety of development opportunities.
