FEATURE ARTICLE, AUGUST 2008

MASTER-PLANNED SUCCESS
Pearland, Texas, demonstrates how detailed city planning can lead to dynamic results.
Fred Welch

The results of a well-developed strategic plan can be remarkable sometimes.

During the past 7 years, the city of Pearland has doubled its population, added millions of square feet of retail space and will soon have a landmark that’s hard to forget — a park that will feature the giant busts of all of the U.S. Presidents. Last year, Pearland was recognized as the 34th fastest-growing suburb in America by Forbes.com.

With the city’s first, 5-year strategic plan completed this year, it’s time once again for the Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) to write a new long-term plan.

The goal is to create a destination city. With strategy and partnership, we are transforming what has been a nice place to live into a quality place to live, work, shop and operate a business. The PEDC is accomplishing our plan by fostering expanding businesses, seeking regional headquarters and providing the kinds of quality amenities that attract corporate decision makers.

Pearland strives to combine its space for suburban living with increasingly urban city centers. Making this transition in a way that benefits citizens and business partners requires building on the city’s success and anticipating the changing needs of industry.

Looking to the future, the next plan will need to continue building on Pearland’s strengths:

• Education. Biotech and energy employers are a growing part of Pearland’s city’s employment base. The PEDC, working in tandem with community partners, continues to expand educational opportunities. The goal is to provide good jobs for the many young people entering the workforce, and ensure the city has the skilled workers needed to support and attract tech-driven businesses.

• Population. Pearland’s fast-growing, affluent population attracts national retailers, from Macy’s to Bass Pro Shops. This year, there will be about 1,500 new home starts, one of the nation’s strongest growth rates, according to MetroStudy Inc.

• Location. The construction boom in the Texas Medical Center, located only 8 miles away, is creating an opportunity for the city to offer a convenient, lower-cost location for administrative medical and biotechnology offices.

Education Outreach Drives Growth

The PEDC knows the single driving force in economic development today is a skilled workforce and the ability to re-tool that workforce to suit industry’s changing needs.

Pearland’s strong school system has long been a draw to the master-planned communities that drive the city’s economic growth. Now the city’s education, business and community leaders are working together to install programs that ensure students here are ready to excel when they enter the job market.

Beginning this year, high school juniors and seniors will be offered a curriculum providing the science, technology, engineering and math knowledge they need to be certified under the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) program. MSSC certification tells potential employers these graduates meet national standards set by manufacturers.

Businesses can also turn to the Northern Brazoria Educational Alliance, which streamlines the hunt for government job training funds. Next year, the University of Houston-Clear Lake plans to open a Pearland campus. The new campus will offer a convenient location for those looking to continue their college education and increase their professional development in subjects such as business and education.

Making the Most of Opportunities

The phenomenal growth of Pearland, in the middle of what was once a stretch of open country along State Highway 288, was due to a combination of timing and hard work.

Shadow Creek Ranch is a 3,500-acre master-planned development in Pearland, Texas.

The timing came when developers created the 3,500-acre Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision on the west end of Pearland. This became one of the fastest growing master-planned developments in the country and, based on its success, spurred many followers.

The city strategically managed growth with zoning and bond issues to pay for the roads, parks, sewer lines and other infrastructure needed to keep up with the population surge. Last year, voters approved a $163 million bond issue to support additional infrastructure and green space.

This growth attracts retailers, who see an affluent base of shoppers in Pearland. The city is expected to have a population of nearly 96,000 in 2011 and 400,000 people within a 15-minute drive, giving it the coveted household demographics developers need to secure project financing.

Pearland is now a three Wal-Mart town, and is also home to Dillard’s, Barnes & Noble, Brooks Brothers and more. With the opening of the new Pearland Town Center, it will rival the area’s many established malls and town centers in terms of high-end retail and dining in the Houston area.

The planned WaterLights District.

In addition, the WaterLights District expands the city’s development offerings with plans for a mixed-used development combining offices, stores, hotels and residential condos.

Other notable additions include the new Bass Pro Shops, as well as a 140,000-square-foot H-E-B Plus store, which is the grocery chain’s biggest store on the Gulf Coast.

Room to Grow

The billboards for the Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision played up a simple message: It’s a quick commute to the Texas Medical Center.

According to officials with the Texas Medical Center, Pearland is home to 5,000 of the 70,000 workers in the medical center. Pearland’s population is likely to rise as these institutions continue to expand, with 30,000 additional workers expected in just a few years.

The new Bass Pro Shops in Pearland.

The rising cost of office space in that increasingly crowded part of Houston offers Pearland a chance to become a part of Houston’s growing medical community. Pearland offers doctor sand nurses in area medical towers with lower-cost office space for the employees who provide them with administrative services. In many cases, this would also move jobs closer to the homes of employees. With record gasoline prices, we see this as a recruiting plus for the medical institutions. Less money in the gas tank translates to more money in the employee’s pocket.

To further enhance Pearland’s appeal, the city plans to acquire a full-service hospital in town within the next 3 to 5 years. In anticipation of this, some of Houston’s biggest medical institutions are already opening clinics and 24-hour emergency care facilities in the city.

Retaining the city’s business base is another priority. In 2003, the PEDC started a program to support the city’s established businesses, called BizConnect. Through this program, the city offers advice, problem solving and financial assistance to encourage companies to stay and grow in Pearland. In its 3-year existence, the BizConnect program has provided services and assistance through more than 100 visits to firms in Pearland. This has resulted in eight expansion projects valued at more than $15 million and 400 employees retained or hired.

Pearland has room to grow. There are 52 square miles in the city limits, plus another 26 square miles for growth in its extraterritorial jurisdiction. With Pearland’s open space, unparalleled educational opportunities and a commitment to economic development, all of the strategic elements are present to make Pearland a model of suburban growth.

Fred Welch is the executive director of Pearland Economic Development Corporation in Pearland, Texas.

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