Strategic Partners

The Neartown Association was established in 1963 to improve the quality of life in Houston’s unique and historic inner-city neighborhoods. Undaunted by the time-consuming community-building process, residents were not willing to wait for someone else to save and restore their home fronts, nestled between downtown Houston and the Houston Medical Center. Since its founding, the Neartown Association has supported, and often sponsored, the formation of small civic clubs and neighborhood associations within its borders, generally along original plat lines. These 20-plus smaller groups hold their own meetings and deal with more localized issues such as problem properties, heavily weeded vacant lots and citizen patrols. They call on Neartown for support with neighborhood issues and, in turn, Neartown rallies these civic associations when issues of larger community concerns develop. With a population of over 30,000, Neartown’s strong advocacy on positions of interest to the area is well known at both the local and state level. To learn more visit www.neartown.org.

The Museum District Business Alliance is committed to making the Montrose more attractive for businesses, residents, and investors by improving the public’s ability to enjoy through the promotion of enterprise and the arts, both visual and performing, in the Montrose/Museum District. To learn more visit www.mdbahouston.org.

The Board of Directors of Richmondrail.org want to preserve and enhance the quality of life and vitality of our neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions. They want to ensure the long term quality and success of the neighborhoods through the development of light rail along Richmond Avenue from Main Street to its connection with the Uptown line and beyond. To learn more visit www.richmondrail.org

The Citizens’ Transportation Coalition (CTC) is an all-volunteer grassroots transportation advocacy organization. CTC envisions transportation solutions that improve quality of life. Formed in 2004, we are interested in transportation planning issues and opportunities across the 8-county Houston region. To learn more visit www.ctchouston.org.

In July, 2009, the Montrose Management District (MMD) joined with four other management districts, Brays Oaks, International, East Aldine and Greater Sharpstown to form the United Management Districts of Houston (UMDH). The goal of the UMDH is to raise awareness of the mission of the management districts in Houston as well as spur economic development and improve the quality of life in these communities at the local level. The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) will work with the Director of Economic Development and the Director of Services in the respective Districts to actively support and promote business development. The five Districts will be a part of the Partnership’s Managing Director level aggressive marketing/business development plans as we work together to grow 600,000 regional jobs and $60 billion in capital investment by the end of 2015, thereby establishing Houston as a global business magnet. The GHP understands that to achieve these goals, they must work in collaboration with regional business leaders, governmental entities and institutions. The Partnership will work closely with the business community to develop high-impact, high yield projects that will contribute to job growth and capital investment in the targeted business segments. In addition to staff members, the Board of Directors will actively be involved in the advisory committees of the GHP. Working hand in hand, the Directors will work to support those plans and policies which promote the region and invite developers and business leaders to discover “The Montrose and all its unlimited possibilities”. To learn more about the Partnership visit www.houston.org

What gives Texas communities and businesses the edge when it comes to economic development decisions? Up-to-date data for accurate planning and economic forecasting, of course. Tap into the wealth of information at your fingertips or put at the Comptroller’s expert team of researchers, analysts and economists to work for you. To learn more www.texasahead.org/texasedge and www.texasahead.org/economy/tracking.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is the non-profit organization revitalizing and transforming Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource.
The Partnership coordinates the integration of major amenities into the bayou greenbelt and seeks ways to increase community involvement through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities, permanent and temporary art installations, and other natural and built attractions.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s recent successes have included:

• Opening of the Sabine Promenade, downtown’s 23-acre waterfront park. With dramatic blue and white lighting, hike and bike trails, lush landscaping and public art, the new park has been lauded as one of Houston’s best designed public spaces.
• Initiating redevelopment of the historic International Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing – plans include a canoe, kayak, and bike rental facility. Construction to begin by fall of 2008
• Implementing an Adopt-a-Spot program for tributary maintenance along Buffalo Bayou west of downtown
• Developing an herbarium to house plants collected from the bayou’s corridor; a virtual herbarium, accessed from the Partnership’s website, is also being designed
• Worked with more than 1,500 volunteers to beautify the bayou through tree plantings, wildflower seedings and tributary restoration
• Building over four miles of hike and bike trails east of downtown as part of an effort to complete ten miles in the next few years
• Acquiring more than 40 acres of land east of downtown to transform into open space for parks, sports facilities, nature preserves and other amenities
• Collected over 3,500 cubic yards of trash from Buffalo Bayou with the Mighty Tidy Skimmer Boat
• Continuing to host dozens of events, canoe trips, bat tours, history hikes, pontoon boat rides, and arts openings attracting hundreds of Houstonians to the bayou shores, including the annual spring Buffalo Bayou Regatta –
  15-mile canoe and kayak race

For more information, please log onto www.buffalobayou.org or call 713.752.0314.