What is the Uptown Houston District?
The Uptown Houston District is the common name for Harris County Improvement District No. 1. It is a political subdivision of the State of Texas that serves Uptown Houston, a district of office buildings, hotels and the Galleria shopping center in Houston.
When was the Uptown Houston District created?
The 70th Texas Legislature created the district in 1987 by special act. It uses the powers the Texas Constitution makes available to special districts. A 2003 bill, H.B. 1685, addressed the district’s transit and parking powers.
What did the 2003 transit and parking bill cover?
H.B. 1685 would let the district acquire, lease, develop and operate a public transit system. Before doing so, the district would need a petition from owners of a majority of the square footage or assessed value along the affected right-of-way. The bill also covered parking facilities leased to or run by another entity for public use. The district could collect fees and tolls and issue bonds or notes for these projects. If a parking project removed property from another taxing unit’s rolls, the district would pay that unit what the taxes would have been.
How is the Uptown Houston District governed?
A 12-member board of directors governs the district. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality appoints the directors. Board members must be landowners, long-term tenants or agents of landowners in the district. The board holds regular meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
How is the Uptown Houston District funded?
The district levies an ad valorem tax on real and personal property inside its boundaries. It also receives federal grants directly.
What does the Uptown Houston District do?
- Traffic operations and public safety
- Public maintenance and beautification
- Infrastructure improvements
- Economic development, communications and marketing
How does the Uptown Houston District work with the Uptown TIRZ?
The district works with the Uptown Development Authority on mobility improvements. The district’s president also serves as administrator of the Uptown tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) and the Uptown Development Authority.
Where does the board meet?
The board meets at an office on Post Oak Boulevard. Meeting notices are posted 72 hours in advance.