2016-2017 Community Guide & Directory

EconomicDevelopment

What began as a small community located near the San Jacinto River has blossomed into a cornerstone of the Greater Houston Area, an ever-widening area of prosperous commerce and multi-community growth. The Lake Houston Area offers superior housing options and excellent schools to residents but a significant number commute to work daily.

The Lake Houston Economic Development Partnership (LHEDP) is working to entice industrial and commercial companies to the area, along with expanding existing businesses.

That means high-quality jobs for local residents and development of a true live, work and play community.

Proximity to Downtown Houston and location at the crossroads of major transportation corridors is appealing to commercial developers. Completion of Grand Parkway

Segment G along with Beltway 8, FM 1960, I-10, I-45 and I-69 provide access by road. George Bush Intercontinental Airport provides travel and transport by air, the Houston Ship Channel and Port of Houston by sea and Union Pacific by rail.

Over the past several years, the Lake Houston Area has experienced huge growth in commercial developments. The most notable is Generation Park, a 4,000-acre mixeduse master planned enterprise park located on the northeast corner of Beltway 8 and Sam Houston Tollway. Generation Park is the premier location for new businesses in northeast Harris County with more than $60 million worth of infrastructure investments already made with much more to come. The Fortune 500 company, FMC Technologies was the fi rst business to build in Generation Park. Their 173 acre campus is home to 1,500 employees. Ground has broken on Generation Park’s 52 acre, pedestrian oriented mixed-use corporate lifestyle center Redemption Square. It will feature a Courtyard Marriott hotel with 147 rooms, an urban apartment project with 243 units, a fi ve story 85,000 square foot Class A offi ce building and 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Future phases of Redemption Square could include an extended-stay hotel, fi tness centers, 1,000-space parking garage, 1.5 million square feet of Class A offi ce space, 800 residential units, 650 hotel rooms, 275,000 square feet of retail space, 21 acres of parks and a 4,000-seat auditorium.

Employees by Occupation

AIRPORT

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is situated just 10 minutes away from the Lake Houston Area. Bush Intercontinental is operated by the Houston Airports along with William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD). Together, these three locations form one of the largest airport systems in the world. They also represent one of the local region’s strongest economic partners.

Houston Airports actively works with local organizations and chambers of commerce to help local entrepreneurs take advantage of the myriad of business opportunities. The three-airport system served more than 55 million passengers in 2016, including more than 10.7 million international travelers and positions Houston as the international passen-

ger and cargo gateway to the south central United States and a primary gateway to Latin America.

While the airports represent a significant contribution to Houston and the economies of surrounding communities, they do not burden the local tax base to pay for operations, maintenance or capital improvements. Rather, the system accomplishes financial self-sufficiency by deriving income from fees, rentals and other charges. Surpluses generated are reinvested into capital development and bond retirement. At the same time according to the most recent economic impact study, these airports collectively contribute more than $27.5 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit www.fly2houston.com.

Top Public Sector Employers