Demystifying SW Houston's Government: What Does TIRZ 20 Do?

You probably don't like to pay local taxes, but you might as well know how they're being spent. It turns out that City of Houston property taxes from the Sharpstown area often get spent in, well, the Sharpstown area. That's partly thanks to a hyperlocal government body called TIRZ 20, founded in 1999.

Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 20, also known as the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority, paid for the blue light pillars on Bellaire, the road construction on Corporate Dr, the construction of Club Creek Park, much of Sharpstown Park Pool, the ongoing construction of the Sharpstown Park Trail, several FLOCK license plate reader cameras, and more. They're also planning a flood detention pond near Harwin Dr, new buildings at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, and elsewhere. The goal is to raise property values and attract investment by making Southwest Houston a more desirable place to live, work, and start a business.

The board members from TIRZ 20 would also like frustrated Sharpstonians to know that they did not plan or fund the road construction along the Sam Houston Tollway. That project is the responsibility of TxDOT, said TIRZ 20 executive director David Hawes at the board meeting on 9/12.

During the fifteen months that I've covered the Redevelopment Authority, it's had a track record of paying attention to community feedback on projects. So pay attention to what TIRZ 20 is doing near your home, business, church, or school. Your input could impact their decisions.

Much important information about TIRZ 20 is posted publicly on its website—if you're willing to dig through agendas, meeting minutes, and 100-page board books. If that doesn't sound exciting, you can get an overview of the basics right here.

Where Is It?

Over its twenty-four-year history, TIRZ 20 has expanded from ~2,051 acres to ~6,051 acres.

The TIRZ boundaries encompass most of the bayous, parks, and commercial properties—including apartments—in Sharpstown, plus many in Alief, Westwood, Brays Oaks, Gulfton, and even the Willow Waterhole Greenway. Homes within the Sharpstown Civic Association boundaries are not part of the TIRZ.

Where Does the Money Come from?

TIRZ 20 funds its projects through two sources of cash: bond debt, and something called a tax increment. What's that? Hypothetically, let's say that when the TIRZ was founded in 1999, the taxable value of a particular restaurant property inside its boundaries was $1 million. Now let's say that by 2024, the taxable value of that property grew to $3 million. The additional $2 million would be the tax increment.

Taxes from the first $1 million would go to the City of Houston's general fund, which can be spent on projects anywhere in the city. But taxes from the $2 million increment would go to TIRZ 20 to be spent on projects within the reinvestment zone.

In 1999, the taxable value of all the property within the TIRZ boundaries was ~$760 million. In 2023, the taxable value was $3.9 billion. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the increment is now $3.14 billion. Some of the growth has come from individual property values rising due to twenty-four years of economic development. But some of the growth has come from the TIRZ adding more property to its boundaries.

The TIRZ also owes roughly $70 million in bond debt, based on its FY 2025 budget. TIRZ 20 has taken out two outstanding bonds to pay for construction projects (the latest was for $37 million in 2020, according to Chron). Together, the bonds cost TIRZ 20 ~$5.7 million per year in debt service.

In FY 2024, the TIRZ collected ~$12 million in property tax revenue and held around $33 million in reserve funds for capital projects.

Who's in Charge?

TIRZ 20 is run by a volunteer board of seven local businesspeople and community members appointed by the Houston City Council and chaired by real estate development firm CEO Welcome Wilson, Jr. In August, Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner Lesley Briones appointed another board member and recommended two to City Council.

The paid executive director, David Hawes, is a senior partner in the firm Hawes Hill & Associates, which contracts with several management districts and tax increment reinvestment zones across Houston. For a "professional consulting and administration fee" of roughly $12,000 a month, Hawes Hill advises the district's board and manages many of the day-to-day operations, including communicating with the public, hosting community meetings, and coordinating projects.

What's the Real Name—TIRZ 20, or Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority?

Officially, TIRZ 20 and the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority are two separate organizations. But for most practical purposes, they're the same thing. Both organizations have the same set of board members, share one budget, and hold joint meetings. So throughout this article and others, The Sharpener uses the terms "TIRZ 20" and "Redevelopment Authority" interchangeably.

What Are FLOCK Cameras?

Some of TIRZ 20's properties are equipped with FLOCK cameras, which read the license plates of passing cars and scan for matches with Amber Alerts, the National Crime Information Center, or local law enforcement hotlist alerts. If a license plate matches one that police are looking for, FLOCK sends the "hit" to HPD.

In the month of August, ~320,000 vehicles passed TIRZ 20 cameras, which landed 277 hits (according to TIRZ 20's latest FLOCK Camera Report, included in the September board book).

Worried about privacy? Well, at least according to TIRZ 20 spokesman Don Huml (a Hawes Hill employee), only HPD can access the images and other data from the cameras.

Current Construction Projects

Sharpstown Park Trail

One day, locals may be able to bike or walk their dogs—on dedicated trails—all the way from the Sharpstown Park Golf Course to the far side of downtown Houston. One part of the planned network is Sharpstown Park Trail, which will run through the CenterPoint energy corridor from the Westpark Tollway to Brays Bayou, where it will link with the under-construction Brays Bayou Greenway Trail.

Phase 1 of the Sharpstown trail, also under construction, will stretch from Sands Point to Beechnut. Houston Parks Board is managing Phase 1, but it's being funded by TIRZ 20 (~$1.6 million) and Harris County Precinct 4 (~1.5 million).

Read more details in this Sharpener article.

Harwin Drive Reconstruction

The $5.5 million Harwin Drive Improvement Project, fully funded by TIRZ 20, will rebuild a small section of Harwin from Drew St to Fondren and add a floodwater detention pond that can hold around 17 acre feet of water. The project will keep Harwin at four lanes, expand them from 10’ wide to 11’, and add a right turn lane from Harwin onto Fondren. It will also connect Drew St and Glenmont for easier traffic access and bulldoze a magnet for homeless encampments in the process.

Read more details in this Sharpener article.

Southwest Civic Core

The Southwest Multi-Service Center near the northeast corner of Sharpstown has been dubbed a "civic core" because of how many Sharpstown and Gulfton residents—especially recent immigrants and refugees—use the many government services it offers. In a two-phase project, TIRZ 20 plans to expand the MSC, add a community park and covered parking garage, and install a generator.

The TIRZ has budgeted nearly $13 million in spending through the end of 2026 to construct Phase I, which includes demolishing a parking lot to make space for the new park and constructing a new outbuilding that can be used as a senior center. According to the TIRZ's FY 2025 budget, $2.9 million will come from TIRZ funds, $5.1 million from the City of Houston, and $5.8 million from grant money. The federal grant was awarded jointly by U.S. Representatives Al Green and Lizzie Fletcher.

Read more details in this Sharpener article.

Sidewalk Construction

TIRZ 20 is paying contractor Arnold & Co. LLC ~$590,000 to construct new sidewalks on Bellerive, Bonhomme, Hornwood, Waldo, and Harbor Town. Construction is slated to be finished by October 19, 2024.

This isn't TIRZ 20's first sidewalk project. According to its website, the Redevelopment Authority has constructed nearly three miles of new sidewalks during its history.

And More...

To see more, visit TIRZ 20's Current Projects webpage.

Past Projects

Replacing Road Panels on Corporate Drive

On July 28, TIRZ 20 finished replacing deteriorating concrete panels and old water lines on Corporate Dr from Beechnut to Bellaire. The project cost around $6.5 million, paid to contractor Resicom, Inc, and engineering firm Cobb Fendley.

Building Club Creek Park

TIRZ 20 paid approximately $14.3 million to build Club Creek Park, which doubles as a floodwater detention pond with a capacity of 120 acre feet. The park (completed in 2023) includes a playground, concrete walking and biking trails, a Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and a miniature lake with a fountain.

Hillcroft Sidewalks, Crosswalks, and Bike Lanes

Know that stretch of Hillcroft St with dedicated bike lanes between the sidewalks and car lanes? TIRZ 20 contributed ~$2.5 million to the Hilllcroft Safety Improvement Project, led by Houston Public Works, which focused on Hillcroft from High Star Dr to Bellaire Blvd. The project, completed in 2022, added new sidewalks and pedestrian signals and narrowed Hillcroft from four lanes each way to three to make room for those protected bike lanes.

Rebuilding & Revamping Bellaire Boulevard

During the 2000s, TIRZ 20 rebuilt Bellaire Blvd from Mary Bates to Beltway 8, adding a westbound traffic lane, dedicated left turn lanes, pedestrian walk lights on traffic signals, and a new storm sewer system. The project also replaced old sidewalks and water lines.

In 2020, the TIRZ paid for decorative blue lights on traffic poles at five intersections along Bellaire Blvd in Chinatown.

Reconstructing Sharpstown Park Pool

In 2019, when Mike Laster sat on City Council, TIRZ 20 contributed $2 million toward demolishing Sharpstown Park's old Olympic-sized swimming pool and constructing a new one in its place.

Bonham, Crain, and Lansdale Parks

In blazing summers, many kids keep cool at the splash pad at Lansdale Park. TIRZ 20 contributed $1 million total toward that splash pad plus projects at two other Sharpstown parks.

At Bonham Park, the TIRZ repaired the eroding sides of the floodwater detention basin. At Crain Park, the TIRZ replaced a walking trail and added benches, picnic tables, and trees.

And more...

To see more, visit TIRZ 20's Past Projects webpage.

Meat and Potatoes

Past Houston mayors have called TIRZ 20 "the meat and potatoes TIRZ," said Hawes. Like potatoes, infrastructure projects aren't flashy, but they matter.

What do you think? Is TIRZ 20 doing a good job at the meat-and-potatoes projects in your neighborhood? What would you like the Redevelopment Authority to change or do in the future? Let me know at sharpstownsharpener@gmail.com.