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AREA OVERVIEW PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES RESOURCES REGIONAL NEEDS VISION AND GOALS EVALUATION PLAN ABOUT GCEDD
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Planning and Economic Development Activities
The region has seen numerous planning activities geared toward furthering economic development. The City of Houston is planning and implementing programs in the Third Ward, Midtown, the Washington Avenue area, the Heights, and the East End, among others. Galveston is also revitalizing their central business district to attract new businesses and encourage tourism. Similar activities are occurring at various scales in Bay City, Columbus, Conroe, Dayton, El Campo, and Huntsville, to name a few. These efforts are being supported by EDA grants as well as by funding from other programs. Other major sources of funding include the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Texas Community Development Program (administrated by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)), the US Small Business Administration, the Texas Department of Economic Development, and the US Department of Agriculture–Rural Development (formerly the Farmer’s Home Administration). The status of EDA and other projects in the region is shown below.
EDA Grant Status 00-01
Gulf Coast Economic Development District
| Applicant | Project | Amount | Type | Status |
| Houston Community College | Day Care and Classroom Training Center at Katy Mills Mall | $1,871,000 | Public Works | Funded 2000 |
| Prairie View A&M University | NetMobile Unit | $180,000 | Public Works | Funded 2001 |
| City of Wharton | Wastewater treatment improvements | $801,000 | Public works | Funded 2001 |
Technical Assistance also provided on two additional applications:
Gulf Coast Trades Center (New Waverly, Walker County): District staff has worked extensively with applicant in developing pre-application. EDA is currently evaluating for possible invitation of application
C-Port Galveston: District staff has worked closely with applicant in developing preliminary funding application. |
Texas Capital Fund Grant Status 2000
Gulf Coast Economic Development District
| Applicant | Project | Amount |
| City of Weimar | Infrastructure Development | $400,000 |
| City of Columbus | Infrastructure Development | $750,000 |
| City of Bay City | Infrastructure Development | $375,000 |
| City of Bay City | Main Street Program | $150,000 |
| City of Wharton | Infrastructure Development | $750,000 |
| Waller County | Infrastructure Development | $375,000 |
| City of Angleton | Main Street Program | $150,000 |
Texas Community Development Program
CDBG Grant Status 01-02
Gulf Coast Economic Development District
| 2001 Allocations | Amount | 2002 Allocations | Amount |
| City of Hardin | $350,000 | City of Kemah | $207,024 |
| City of Devers | $350,000 | City of League City | $350,000 |
| Colorado County | $350,000 | Walker County | $350,000 |
| City of Palacios | $350,000 | El Campo | $350,000 |
| City of Huntsville | $350,000 | Cleveland | $350,000 |
| Matagorda County | $350,000 | Wharton County | $350,000 |
| City of Liverpool | $350,000 | City of Weimar | $350,000 |
| City of Bay City | $350,000 | City of Angleton | $350,000 |
Community Financing: Communities throughout the region have taken a much more proactive role when it comes to financing business and industrial expansions. Many communities and other taxing authorities have adopted tax abatement policies, enterprise zone designations, bond financing, and other assistance programs to assist in their efforts of expanding tax bases and increasing employment opportunities. Within the GCEDD reside 79 Independent School Districts, which can and have further contributed to these efforts by participating in Tax increment financing, abatement programs and other incentive strategies to finance public improvements and encourage business development.
These additional sources of revenue enable communities to leverage or substitute for public grant money. In addition many municipalities are utilizing sales tax to promote development, through the creation of development corporations, as detailed in Table 7. Further information on Economic Development Sales Tax can be found through the Texas Department of Economic Development website, www.tded.state.tx.us or from the Attorney General’s Handbook on Economic Development Laws for Texas Cities, which is available at www.oag.state.tx.us.
Table 7: Economic Development Sales Tax Initiatives
| City | County | Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Angleton | Brazoria | Angleton Economic Development Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Arcola | Fort Bend | Arcola 4b Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Bay City | Matagorda | Bay City Community Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Brookshire | Waller | Brookshire Economic Development Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Clear Lake Shores | Galveston | Clear Lake Shores Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Columbus | Colorado | Columbus Community and Industrial Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Conroe | Montgomery | Conroe Industrial Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Dayton | Liberty | Dayton Community Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Dickinson | Galveston | Dickinson Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| El Campo | Wharton | City Development Corp. of El Campo, Inc. | 4a/4b |
| Freeport | Brazoria | Freeport Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Galveston | Galveston | Galveston Industrial Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Hempstead | Waller | Hempstead Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Hitchcock | Galveston | Hitchcock Industrial Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Kemah | Galveston | Kemah Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| La Marque | Galveston | La Marque Industrial Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| La Porte | Harris | La Porte Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Lake Jackson | Brazoria | Lake Jackson Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| League City | Galveston | City of League City Sect. 4b Ind. Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Liberty | Liberty | Liberty Community Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Magnolia | Montgomery | City of Magnolia 4b Community Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Meadows | Fort Bend | Meadows Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Montgomery | Montgomery | Montgomery Industrial Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Needville | Fort Bend | Development Corporation of Needville | 4a/4b |
| Oak Ridge North | Montgomery | Oak Ridge North Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Palacios | Matagorda | City of Palacios Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Pearland | Brazoria | Pearland Economic Dev. Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Prairie View | Waller | Prairie View Economic Development Corp | 4a/4b |
| Richmond | Fort Bend | Development Corporation of Richmond | 4a/4b |
| Rosenberg | Fort Bend | Rosenberg Development Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Seabrook | Harris | Seabrook 4a Economic Dev. Corp. I | 4a/4b |
| Seabrook | Harris | Seabrook 4b Economic Dev. Corp. II | 4a/4b |
| Sealy | Austin | Sealy Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Shenandoah | Montgomery | Shenandoah Industrial Dev Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Stafford | Fort Bend | Stafford Sales Tax Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Sugar Land | Fort Bend | Sugar Land 4b Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Sugar Land | Fort Bend | Sugar Land Development Corporation 4a | 4a/4b |
| Texas City | Galveston | Texas City Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Tomball | Harris | Tomball Economic Development Corp. | 4a/4b |
| Weimar | Colorado | Weimar Economic Development Corp | 4a/4b |
| West Columbia | Brazoria | City of West Columbia | 4a/4b |
| Wharton | Wharton | Wharton Economic Development Corporation | 4a/4b |
| Willis | Montgomery | Willis Industrial Dev. Corp | 4a/4b |
| Source: the Texas Department of Economic Development www.tded.state.tx.us |
Table 8a: County Economic Development Incentives and Designations
| County | Enterprise Zones | Foreign Trade Zones | Tax Abatement Policies | Sales Tax for Econ. Devel. | Entitlement County | Redevelopment Area | Clean Air Attainment County |
| Austin | | | Y | | | Y | Y |
| Brazoria | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Chambers | Y | Y | Y | Motel | | Y | |
| Colorado | Y | | Y | | | Y | Y |
| Fort Bend | Y | | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Galveston | Y | Y | Y | ** | *** | Y | |
| Harris | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Liberty | Y | Y | Y | Y | | Y | |
| Matagorda | Y | Y* | Y | Y | | Y | Y |
| Montgomery | | | Y | ** | Y | Y | |
| Walker | Y | | Y | | | | Y |
| Waller | | | Y | Y | | Y | |
| Wharton | Y | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y |
* Matagorda County does not have an officially designated Foreign Trade Zone, but has a general-purpose zone
** Galveston and Montgomery Counties do not have a countywide sales tax, but several cities within the county do.
*** Galveston County is not an entitlement county, but it contains the entitlement cities of Galveston and Texas City. |
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