OVERVIEW OF THE ZONE

Reinvestment Zone Number Eight, City of Houston, Texas, (“T.I.R.Z. #8,” “Gulfgate,” or “Zone”) was created by the City Council of the City of Houston, Texas on December 10, 1997, by Ordinance No. 97-1524 and enlarged by Ordinance No. 1999-0706. It was expanded a third time by Ordinance 2014-1192 on December 17, 2014.

The primary goals of the Zone are to:

  • eliminate blight & substandard conditions
  • provide a way to remediate unsafe and unsanitary conditions
  • encourage the sound growth of the residential, retail, and commercial sectors through: the purchase, demolition and reconstruction of property, design and construction of improved mobility systems, streetscape enhancements, pedestrian amenities, public utility system upgrades, adequate public facilities, and parkland & public space improvements.

The zone is located in southeast Houston adjacent to Hobby Airport. It is bounded by 610 to the north I-45 to the East, MLK to the west and Almeda Genoa to the south. The zone is approximately 8,000 acres and includes Gulfgate Mall and property south and southwest of Gulfgate Mall.

The TIRZ is located in Council Districts D & I and is located primarily in super neighborhoods 72 (South Park), 73 (Golfcrest/Bellfort/Reveille), 77 (Minnetex) and 78 (Greater Hobby Area).

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Located in southeast Houston, adjacent to Hobby Airport, TIRZ 8 functions as a means to improve the area bounded by 610, I-45 East, MLK, and Almeda Genoa. TIRZ 8 is identified by four distinct features: Nodes, Districts, Paths, and Edges, as shown below. These features were chosen to broker an understanding of the area’s unique physical layout, functionality, and individual character.

Nodes, or Activity Centers, are significant destinations that regularly attract people and typically include a focused concentration of land uses such as shopping areas, major parks, educational institutions, or employers in one location.

Parks:

  • Cullinan Park
  • Golfview Park
  • Stuart Park (Outside TIRZ)
  • Edgewood Park
  • Law Park
  • Dow Park
  • Glenbrook Park
  • Charlton Park

Schools:

  • Thomas Middle School
  • Frost Elementary School
  • Sterling High School
  • Mading Elementary
  • Alcott Elementary
  • Brookline Elementary
  • Golfcrest Elementary
  • Bellfort Academy
  • Ortiz Middle School
  • Houston Can Academy

Shopping:

  • Gulfgate Mall

Work:

  • Hobby Airport

Districts are sub areas of a reinvestment zone and are largely centered around major corridors, including Mykawa Corridor, Telephone Corridor, Broadway Corridor, Bellfort Corridor, Dixie Corridor, and Long Corridor.

  • Mykawa Corridor
  • Telephone Corridor
  • Broadway Corridor
  • Bellfort Corridor
  • Dixie Corridor
  • Long Corridor

Paths are channels for traveling from one destination to another and create the framework for the area on which all other components fit.

  • Roadways
  • BNSF Railway
  • Sims Bayou Trail

Edges create a sense of division between places. On the community-wide scale, edges create a physical and psychological sense of separation. Edges can be manmade, such as a highway or major railroad, or they can be natural areas or waterways.

  • 610
  • I-45
  • Sims Bayou