Economic Development Strategic Plan
An informative executive summary of the Brays Oaks Management District’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, adopted in 2020, is available here.
With input from business leaders and many others in the community, the plan identifies opportunities to increase retail trade, commerce, development and interest in the district in immediate, mid-term and long-term time frames. It also looks at the district’s demographics, strengths and weaknesses.
For a copy of the entire plan, please write to [email protected].
We look forward to your continued support of the Brays Oaks Management District.
Esri Business Analyst Reports
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Economic Development
The District identifies types of businesses for which there are real opportunities and needs within the area and works with commercial real estate investors, developers and brokers to bring attractive new development to fulfill those needs. Additional benefits are the creation of jobs and additional spending power that help support existing businesses and residential property values in the District. Business recruitment and retention efforts emphasize the District’s positive attributes of: Southwest Houston location inside Beltway 8, proximity to Texas Medical Center, good street and public transit network, and excellent single-family subdivisions, schools, churches and parks. The latest GIS maps and population and demographic information are utilized to make a convincing case for development of attractive new projects.
To assist in these efforts, the District employs the latest marketing tools including a continuously updated and appealing website, a Facebook page and Twitter feeds. District staff also make themselves available for presentations to business and neighborhood organizations throughout Southwest Houston.
Education & Workforce
Recognizing the critical importance of an educated and skilled workforce, the District works with community partners to address the educational needs of the community. As partners, we work to advocate for high quality vocational training at area high schools and for replacement of public schools that have major structural problems. In addition, the District works with local agencies to improve high school and college graduation rates within the District and encourage community colleges to offer dual college credit for both vocational training and academic subjects. The District’s funding of after-school buses for students wishing to attend after-school enrichment activities is an important part of this process. The District is currently working with Houston Community College to provide our community with a new campus.
Mission
Support and promote economic growth by creating and reinforcing positive perceptions of the District as an outstanding place in which to live, work, learn, shop, visit, build and invest.
Programs and Projects
- Implement a public relations and image campaign that will improve public perception and increase public awareness of the District.
- Boost business opportunities by identifying specific areas of involvement with the Greater Houston Partnership, local chambers of commerce, and other business and civic organizations.
- Sponsor research for District marketing materials to meet the needs of current and prospective property owners and tenants, employers, brokers, meeting planners, and the general public.
- Provide public relations and marketing support for the District’s mobility and transportation, beautification and urban design, and public safety efforts.
- Create and reinforce positive perception by encouraging new development and redevelopment as well as improving maintenance of existing properties.
- Establish set of preferred development standards, with an emphasis on long-term profitability and consider incentives for companies willing to relocate and develop along those criteria.
- Create a District web site and regular newsletter to be made available to employees, employers, nearby residents, and the general public
- Establish the District as a clearinghouse of information, including upcoming events, press clippings, demographics, and brochures about the area.
- Monitor and encourage business retention and expansion within the area.
- Encourage appropriate and appealing industrial activity that will ultimately be reflected in increased value and longer term profitability.
- Encourage commercial retail chains or shopping destinations.
- Maintain and expand quality industrial and distribution sites.
District Strengths
The Brays Oaks District offers solid strengths to prospective investors, companies, business owners, real estate developers and future residents.
Location and Accessibility
The District is almost entirely inside Beltway 8 with excellent access to the principal activity centers of the Houston area.
Major Transportation Arteries
The District benefits from having adjacent major roadways with high traffic counts and a good street grid within its boundaries.
District Opportunities
The Brays Oaks District offers excellent opportunities to forward looking organizations.
UNMET RETAIL & RESTAURANT DEMAND ($ MILLIONS) |
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| Store Type | Demand | Supply | Leakage |
| General Merchandise | $133.0 | $18.5 | $114.5 |
| Clothing & Clothing Accessories | 46.0 | 20.7 | 25.3 |
| Full Service Restaurants | 33.0 | 9.6 | 23.4 |
| Limited Service Eating Places | 43.2 | 28.5 | 14.6 |
| Building Material & Supplies | 19.8 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
| Office Supplies, Stationery, Gifts and Other Miscellaneous |
19.6 | 7.5 | 12.1 |
| Home Furnishings | 6.7 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instruments |
14.3 | 8.6 | 5.7 |
| Books, Periodicals, Music | 4.7 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Electronics & Appliances | 21.6 | 9.9 | 11.7 |
| Lawn & Garden Supply | 2.5 | n/a | 2.5 |
Source:Dun & Bradstreet
Unmet Demand Available to Retail Businesses
Based on 2012 data from Dun & Bradstreet, there are major opportunities available to operators of general merchandise stores, clothing & clothing accessories stores, full-service restaurants and other types of stores in the District due to the retail leakage that is occurring.
Strong Business & Community Leadership
The District’s business owners and residents benefit by having strong business and community leadership as provided by the Southwest Houston 2000 organization in partnership with the Brays Oaks District board and staff. The former has as its mission to make Southwest Houston a better place in which to live, work and play. The organization has a board of 38.
Other Partner Organizations
Businesses and residents in the District also have the support of a number of other partner organizations.
See a list of our strategic partners.
Available Properties for Development or Redevelopment
The District has a number of vacant land properties available for single-family residential and commercial development, as well as a number of underutilized improved properties that would be ideally suited for redevelopment.
