The Midtown Redevelopment Authority (MRA) is embarking on an exciting new initiative to accelerate residential and commercial development, specifically in the area from I-45/Pierce Elevated to Hadley Street. Through the North Midtown Urban Transformation Framework, MRA envisions leveraging capital improvements and new development to transform this space into a vibrant, cohesive bridge between Midtown and downtown Houston.
The real estate market has changed dramatically since 2020. Across the globe, the pandemic and its effects on our lifestyles first emptied office buildings and later transformed urban living in nearly every major city. Where proximity to urban cores once outweighed affordability concerns, remote work has empowered people to live farther from city centers in search of more affordable options. In this rapidly evolving environment, Midtown’s pre-COVID leadership in mixed-use urban living was aspirational for other neighborhoods and communities. Even as the landscape continues to shift, Midtown remains at the forefront of urban investment and community development.
Now, we’re asking residents, workers, and business owners in Midtown to help shape this vision by participating in a public survey, which is available here. Your feedback will be crucial in determining the types of development and improvements that will make Midtown a better place to live, work, and play. We want the projects selected for this area to reflect the community’s voice, so your input truly matters.
The North Midtown Urban Transformation Framework has a clear goal: to combine significant public improvements—such as upgraded parks, infrastructure, and public spaces—with new private development. This strategy aims to boost investment in the district, strengthen Midtown’s unique community character, improve public safety, and create more equitable access to parks and public spaces.
As the only constant is change, MRA continues to lead the charge in navigating these new conditions. Midtown’s history of collaboration with private real estate investors and strong community engagement speaks for itself, and this new initiative builds upon that legacy. Investors respond to the district’s strong leadership and proven record knowing that Midtown consistently adapts to the shifting needs of both developers and the community.
The public survey follows a series of developer workshops to gather insights on how financial incentives and capital improvements can unlock development potential. One key incentive successfully used in the past is a developer reimbursement program. Through this model, developers cover the upfront costs of infrastructure improvements—like streets and drainage—and MRA reimburses those costs over time based on the incremental growth in property values and revenues generated by the new development. This structured approach mirrors economic development agreements that have spurred growth in other parts of Midtown, such as multifamily and mixed-use developments by Post Properties, Camden, and Lovett Homes.
In addition, MRA is exploring new tools to spur future private development in Midtown. With input from the local development community and a review of successful incentive programs in other markets, MRA hopes to arrive at a list of best practices that will accelerate development and bring long-lasting benefits to Midtown. The current timetable calls for presenting recommendations to the MRA Board of Directors in early 2025.
We encourage everyone who lives, works, or enjoys spending time in Midtown to participate in this process. You can take the survey here and learn more about MRA’s capital improvement projects here. Let’s shape our collective future together.
