Don't miss what's happening in Sugar Land
People on SugarLand.com are the first to know.
Go to top of page
Close
 
Close
Back
* CONTEST TODAY: 48 Hours Only - Win a $25 Gift Card to The Cheesecake Factory!  Ends in 57 mins Read more »

February 7, 2023 Update on where Sugar Land is with the Imperial

February 7, 2023 Update on where Sugar Land is with the Imperial

« Back
This discussion has been locked.
Message Menu
by: TownHubAdmin Active Indicator LED Icon Site Admin  OP  New Member
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 8, '23 11:19am  
February 7, 2023 Update on where Sugar Land is with the Imperial Historic District
 
Loading Image...
 
Redevelopment in Sugar Land is City Council’s top priority. With only 4% of vacant land left to develop in Sugar Land, it is vital to put redevelopment and reinvestment at the forefront of plans for the City’s future. As Sugar Landers, the city understands the importance of evolving. Imperial created jobs, and then homes and grew this economic engine. But to ensure that the city remains financially sustainable, have some choices to make to continue the evolution of this city. These bold decisions are vital to ensuring Sugar Land blazes the trail for reinvestment and redevelopment in this city, granting a life better than imagined.
 
“We have to do the best we can with the land we have remaining,” Sugar Land Deputy Director for Economic Development Devon Rodriguez said. “We have to make that land the most valuable, highest and best use possible to provide a strong tax base which will aid in funding the City’s high-quality services and amenities with the goal of keeping property taxes low.”
 
The best way to optimize this land for highest taxable value is to have mixed-use development. The City’s 2018 Land Use Plan identifies five areas in the city, called Regional Activity Centers (RACs), to create walkable areas that have a mix of several land uses, including office space, entertainment, retail, hotels, civic areas, and residential. These are places where people can work, shop, eat and live all in one place. The key is having all of these elements together – the commercial, residential and retail – because they have a cause-and-effect relationship, one creating demand for the other. The Imperial area, including the Historic District, is one Regional Activity Center.  
 
Where is the City of Sugar Land?
 
Back in December 2022, The City announced its partnership with PUMA Development, a Houston-based boutique development firm specializing in creating experience-driven, mixed-use communities, to propose the redevelopment of the Imperial Char House, the City’s most iconic building. The City hosted two town halls to gain public input on the proposed preservation and redevelopment of the property with Mark Toon, the CEO of PUMA.
 
“We are at step zero,” Rodriguez said. “We are taking a proactive approach to this project where we are outward and transparent with the community earlier on than we usually would be in this process.”
 
Preservation of buildings like the Char House is a costly endeavor. To help make it happen, City Council approved a $5 million reimbursement agreement on January 3rd to assist with pre-development and construction costs associated with the reuse of the Char House.
 
“All aspects of a mixed-use development feed off of one another,” Toon said. “To create a vibrant, successful project, substantial retail, office, and residential will all be required. Multi-family units also help provide sufficient density to help attract and support great retail tenants, which in turn will drive the financial returns for the entire development.”
 
Where is the City of Sugar Land at now?
 
A joint City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission workshop was held on January 24 to discuss:
 
*A draft amendment to the Land Use Plan (The Land Use Plan is a component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, serving as a guide to how the City should develop and redevelop and evolves over time to reflect changing conditions. It is not regulatory.)
 
*A draft General Development Plan rezoning for the Imperial Historic District (which is the regulatory tool).  
 
The draft amendment and rezoning, if approved, would:  
 
1). Revise the Land Use Plan to be consistent with the proposed zoning changes with up to 1,200 units of multi-family housing envisioned within the overall 201-acre Imperial Regional Activity Center. These 1,200 units include existing multi-family housing as well as proposed and future housing throughout the entirety of the RAC. 
 
2). The proposed Imperial Historic District GDP (General Development Plan) zoning ordinance includes up to 660 additional multi-family units in the 40-acre PUMA Development project area in and around the Char House. These units are in addition to the 254 existing Imperial Lofts and the previously approved 274 units within the Sueba-owned property. All of these are part of the overall 1,200 units in the revised Land Use Plan for the Imperial RAC. 
 
Toon said that all multi-family units built on the site will be nicer and higher-end than anything currently existing in Sugar Land and include structured parking, amenities and high-quality finishes. The target market for the multi-family units includes single-income households with no kids, double-income households with no kids, and empty nesters.
 
Toon also said extensive traffic studies are being performed by traffic engineers with expected traffic-related modifications in the area to existing roads in an effort to mitigate traffic issues. These modifications will be phased with other projects on the site.
 
Where is the City of Sugar Land going?
 
To preserve the Char House, the following will need to occur:
 
*Additional public financing, including a lease
 
*Zoning Approvals
 
*Land acquisition (PUMA Development currently doesn’t own the Imperial land, so they would need to buy it in order for the project to move forward.)
 
*Secure private financing and other funding sources like historic tax credits, TIRZ reimbursements, etc.
 
On February 7, a lease agreement between the City and PUMA Development will go before City Council for consideration. The lease agreement will assist PUMA Development in securing other private financing for the project.
 
On February 14, Sugar Land’s Planning and Zoning Commission, a commission tasked with making recommendations to City Council concerning the use of land and other planning functions according to state law, will provide their recommendation to City Council on the proposed Land Use Plan amendment and rezoning (General Development Plan).
 
On February 21, the City Council will receive the report from the Planning & Zoning Commission and hold their public hearing and first reading of the ordinance for the rezoning (General Development Plan) and the Land Use Plan amendment.
 
“We have been clear with the City regarding PUMA’s requirements to be able to complete this project,” Toon said. “Without the approval of all these items, PUMA will not close on the land and develop the site.”
 
Here’s how you can get involved
 
Let the city know what you think! Please submit your thoughts on this project, which will be shared at the upcoming Planning and Zoning and City Council meetings on February 14 and February 21. Share your public comment here: www.sugarlandtx.gov/ FormCenter/Planning- 8/Public-Hearing-Req uest-151
 
To learn more about the project, sign up to receive project updates or to provide questions or comments, please visit the Imperial Char House Preservation project page: www.sugarlandtx.gov/ 2328/Imperial-Char-H ouse-Preservation
 
sugar-scoop.com/2023 /02/07/an-update-on- where-sugar-land-is- with-the-imperi
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
What are your thoughts? Log in or sign up to comment
Replies:
Message Menu
gary4646 Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 9, '23 11:43pm  
Some simple questions for the City of Sugar Land:
1. This will require additional public financing and a lease. Where is the additional public financing going to come from? Does this translate to additional public taxes?
2. How much additional public financing will be required? How much higher will the resident's taxes rise?
3. This will require Zoning Approvals. So why are the zoning approvals going to be discussed on 2/14/2023? Isn't that a National Day of Celebration for Valentine Day? A day when most families would prefer to be home with loved ones as opposed to attending a Zoning Approval meeting at City Hall!
4. Who owns the land that must be purchased before the project can even begin? What is that cost? Is PUMA going to pay for it without involving the City. Does the Owner want to sell?
5. Secure rivate funding via historic Tax Credits. What companies will benefit from the tax credits? What will the Tax Credits be?
6. Is the City going to perform the "Traffic Studies" or is PUMA? Why should traffic studies performed by PUMA be believed?
7. Does "Structured Parking" translate to multi story concrete parking structures? If so, where will they be built?
8. The additional 900 apartments: "The target market for the multi-family units includes single-income households with no kids, double-income households with no kids, and empty nesters." Where are these coming from? What will be the price per apartment? Houses in Sugar Land rent for as little as $1200 per month. Why pay more for an apartment?
9. How many of these Single Income households, Double Income households, and Empty Nesters are going to want to have a Chemical Plant as a neighbor? How many are going to want to deal with the railroad traffic?
 
Those are just a few of the simple questions I want to ask. There are several more.
Gary Foreman
Sugar Creek
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
Deacon_Blu Active Indicator LED Icon 2
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 10, '23 8:53am  
Every live next to the train tracks with all those Freight Trains going past you -- Talk about the Midnight Special !! Blow those Train Horns on the tracks at 02:00 AM.
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
Jnainani Active Indicator LED Icon 7
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 10, '23 9:06am  
Very valid questions. If you can't make the meeting fill out the form provided.
 
Gary4646 complete this form www.sugarlandtx.gov/ FormCenter/Planning- 8/Public-Hearing-Req uest-151
 
The post says Online Public Hearing Comment forms must be submitted by noon, the day of the scheduled public hearing posted in the notice. Public hearing comment forms submitted online after the deadline may not be addressed or may not be able to be shared with the reviewing board prior to the public hearing.
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
Deacon_Blu Active Indicator LED Icon 2
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 10, '23 10:49am  
@Jnainani : Have you seen what the former "Harold Farb Apartments" look like today ?
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
Jnainani Active Indicator LED Icon 7
~ 1 year, 2 mos ago   Feb 10, '23 11:50am  
@Deacon_Blu : No, I don't even what apartments you are talking about?
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
gary4646 Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 1 year, 1 mo ago   Feb 13, '23 5:40am  
@Jnainani : Already have. Also asked about 200+ others to submit questions or responses. Positive or Negative. Also posted on Facebook with messages to City Council and Mayor.
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
Message Menu
Jnainani Active Indicator LED Icon 7
~ 1 year, 1 mo ago   Feb 13, '23 12:06pm  
Good for you. Let your voices and other voices be heard.
* Reactions disabled on political threads.
This discussion has been locked.
« Back to Main Page
Views: 466
# Replies: 7

David Hunter DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney




Scotty's Saloon  Logo Primrose School of Greatwood Logo Imperial Storage Solutions and Business Suites Logo David Hunter DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney Logo Integrated Pest Management Logo Tachus Fiber Internet Logo Aspen Dental Logo Kosmin Media Group  Logo Scotty's Steakhouse Scotch & Prime Logo Postal Annex Sugar Land Logo Texas Premier Contractors Logo EWR Digital Logo Foundation MD Logo
Sponsor an ad Sponsor an Ad »