Southwest Management District

Sign stating that Bellaire Boulevard is ahead

Southwest Management District, formerly Greater Sharpstown Management District, is a district in Houston, Texas, United States. The district is split into 6 neighborhoods: Sharpstown, Chinatown, Mahatma Gandhi District/Little India, Westwood, Harwin, and University.

History

KPRC-TV STL tower off of Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59 in Greater Sharpstown

The Sharpstown community, the namesake of the district, was completed in 1961.[1] The Texas Legislature approved the formation of the Greater Sharpstown Management District in 2005.[2]

On August 20, 2000. Houston METRO provided its first 24-hour bus service from Downtown to Sharpstown Center. However, due to financial difficulties in building light rail, they had to discontinue the 1:35 am, 2:35 am, and 3:33 am eastbound trips. The last trip from Downtown would leave at 1:05 am, and the First trip at Harwin and Reims would start at 4:00 am Effective January 26, 2003. They have not brought back 24 hour service since then.

After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Louisiana, the zip code 77036 received the largest concentration of Katrina evacuees of any area in the city. 5,991 Katrina evacuees moved into over 2,600 apartment units. Within a wider area, from the 610 Loop to the Houston city limits and from Westpark Drive to U.S. Highway 90A (South Main), 23,000 Katrina evacuees settled there.[3]

On May 31, 2013, the Houston Fire Department suffered its largest casualty in a single event, the Southwest Inn fire, with four firefighters killed and 13 others were injured while fighting a 5-alarm fire at Southwest Inn,[4] located in Greater Sharpstown.[5][6]

Cityscape

The district consists of around 10 square miles (26 km2) of land, bounded by the Westpark Tollway to the north, Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59 and Bissonnet to the south, Beltway 8 to the west, and Hillcroft to the east.[7] I-69/U.S. 59, the Westpark Tollway, and Beltway 8 are the main transit arteries. The main commercial arteries of the district are Bellaire Boulevard and Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59.[1] The management district government estimates that the district is 15 minutes driving time from Downtown Houston.[7] The Galleria, Greenway Plaza, and the Texas Medical Center.[1] The district has about 8,000 single-family houses and 7,000 condominiums and townhomes.[1] Greater Sharpstown includes the Sharpstown subdivision, the portion of Chinatown inside Beltway 8, a portion of Forum Park, and other nearby subdivisions.[6][8] The district is divided into several zones, including:[9][10]

In 2010 the district announced that it will implement new and distinctly designed street signage to mark the various zones within Greater Sharpstown (replacing the existing standard city of Houston signage); installation began in the late winter of 2011.[16]

Demographics

As of 2010 Greater Sharpstown has about 94,500 residents. Among the district residents are African Americans, Chinese Americans, Hispanic Americans, Vietnamese Americans. Up until the late 1980s White Americans were the majority. Many former residents left, going to First Colony, Missouri City, Pearland, Stafford, and Sugar Land as the City of Houston expanded.[1]

Economy

National Oilwell Varco headquarters

National Oilwell Varco has its headquarters in Greater Sharpstown.[17][6] MetroCorp Bancshares and subsidiary MetroBank have their headquarters in Greater Sharpstown and in Chinatown.[18][19][6][8] Southwestern National Bank also has its headquarters in Chinatown and Greater Sharpstown.[20][21][6][8] La Subasta Inc. (formerly El Día, Inc.), which publishes La Subasta and which published El Día, has its offices in Greater Sharpstown.[22][23]

KPRC-TV has its studios in Greater Sharpstown.[24] The China Airlines Houston Mini Office (Chinese: 休士顿营业所, Pinyin: Xiūshìdùn Yíngyèsuǒ[25]) is located in 2 Arena Place in the Arena Place complex in Greater Sharpstown.[6][26]

Prior to its dissolution, A.D. Vision, an anime and manga company, was headquartered in Greater Sharpstown.[27][28][6]

Government

Management district

The district headquarters are located in Suite 109 at 9788 Clarewood Drive.[29] The management district is governed by a board of directors, and board meetings are held once every month in the district headquarters.[30]

Municipal government

Mid-West Police Substation

Most of Greater Sharpstown is in Houston City Council District J.[31] District J was created to allow Hispanics to more easily elect representatives who cater to them.[32] Some of it is in city council district F.[33]

The Houston Fire Department operates fire services in Greater Sharpstown, with the primary run area of Fire District 68 covering a lot of territory in Greater Sharpstown.[6][34] Fire stations located within the district boundaries include Station 51 Sharpstown, a part of Fire District 68, and Station 10 Bellaire, a part of Fire District 83.[35] Station 51 opened in 1962. Since then it had two facelifts and a renovation in the financial year of 1999.[36] Station 10, previously located in what is now East Downtown, relocated to its current location in the new Chinatown and in Greater Sharpstown in 1985.[8][37][38] Station 68 Braeburn Glen, adjacent to the district, opened in 1973.[39]

The neighborhood is served by three Houston Police Department patrol divisions. Most areas north and west of U.S. Route 59 are served by the Midwest Patrol Division, while the far western portion of Greater Sharpstown is served by the Westside Patrol Division. Areas south and east of U.S. 59 are served by the Fondren Patrol Division.[40] The portion that is now in the Midwest Patrol Division was formerly in the Westside Patrol Division.[41] The Midwest division operates the Ranchester Storefront along Bellaire Boulevard in the new Chinatown and in Greater Sharpstown.[8][42][43]

The Midwest Patrol Division headquarters are located in a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building in the district.[42][44] The city purchased the building, a former business college, in November 2007. The operations in the facility began on March 1, 2010. The process of the purchase and renovation was a two-year project.[44] The official grand opening of the station was held on April 27, 2010.[45] The station has 159 police officers and civilians assigned to the patrol division, one investigative first responder (IFR) squad, and two narcotics squads. The facility has available furnished space for two additional investigative squads and 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of unfurnished space for future expansion. The building has a room which functions as a public meeting room and an in-service training room which seats up to 80 people. The facility has a gymnasium, a jail lockup for class C prisoners, down rooms for men and women, a break room, a kitchenette, full-sized lockers for the employees, an emergency generator, an ice machine, and hurricane supplies.[44]

Fire Station 51 Sharpstown

State representation

The Texas Youth Commission Houston District Office is located in Greater Sharpstown.[6][46]

Crime

In regards to the ZIP code 77074, one area pizza parlor, as of 2006, does not make deliveries to four apartment complexes due to fear of crime. In regards to five or six others, it only makes deliveries at daylight hours.[3]

Culture

In 2007, the group Neighborhood Centers Inc. announced that it would build the Gulfton Neighborhood Campus at the intersection of Rookin Street and High Star Drive when it raises $20 million.[47] The Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center, the neighborhood center at the intersection in Greater Sharpstown, was scheduled to open in December 2009.[6][48][49]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Sharpstown High School

Most of Greater Sharpstown is in the Houston Independent School District (HISD), while some portions are in the Alief Independent School District (AISD).

A portion within HISD is served by Sharpstown High School in the district.[6][50] A portion of the Greater Sharpstown District is served by Margaret Long Wisdom High School (formerly Robert E. Lee High School).[51] Sharpstown International School, a magnet middle-high school, is in the district.

YES Prep Public Schools has its headquarters in Greater Sharpstown.[6][52] In addition YES Prep operates YES Prep Gulfton (originally YES Prep Lee),[53] YES Prep West,[54] and YES Prep South at the Revolution Campus in Greater Sharpstown.[6][55]

Harmony Public Schools also has its headquarters in Greater Sharpstown.[56] In addition, it has Harmony Science Academy High School, which was ranked in the top ten schools in the Greater Houston area by Children at Risk, and the Harmony School of Innovation in Greater Sharpstown.[57][58] Girls and Boys Preparatory Academy, a charter school, is in Greater Sharpstown.[59]

Greater Sharpstown also has three private schools. St. Francis de Sales Catholic School (grades K-8), Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Saint Agnes Academy, are located in Sharpstown.

Public libraries

M. E. Walter Neighborhood Library

Two Houston Public Library facilities, the M. E. Walter Neighborhood Library and HPL Express Southwest, are in Greater Sharpstown.[60][61]

Colleges and universities

Houston Baptist University is located in Greater Sharpstown.[6] Westwood College's Houston South Campus is located in One Arena Place in Arena Place in Greater Sharpstown.[62][6]

Houston Community College provides the district's residents with community college services.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "History & Demographics." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on December 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Colley, Jenna. "Road improvements may pave way for change." Houston Business Journal. Friday February 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 10, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Turner, Allan. "Evacuees landed in high-crime ZIP codes." Houston Chronicle. Friday January 20, 2006. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Pinkerton, James; Lezon, Dale (1 June 2013). "Massive blaze in SW Houston kills 4 firefighters". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  5. ↑ "Contact." (Archive) Southwest Inn. Retrieved on June 6, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Map Major Roads." (Archive) Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on August 15, 2009.
  7. 1 2 "About the District." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Rodriguez, Lori. "Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side." (Archive). Alternate version without Chinatown map: "DIVERSITY DEBATE / Chinatown outgrowing name / Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday May 9, 2007. A1.
  9. ↑ "District Zones." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  10. 1 2 "Slide1dh2-820x345.jpg." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on December 29, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Chinatown." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Harwin." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Sharpstown." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  14. ↑ "South Asia." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Westwood." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Signage project will be moving forward." Greater Sharpstown Management District. September 8, 2010. Retrieved on December 29, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Contact Us." National Oilwell Varco. Retrieved on February 5, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Contact the Board." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Corporate Secretary MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. 9600 Bellaire Blvd. Suite 252 Houston, TX 77036 United States."
  19. ↑ "Contact Us." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "MetroBank, N.A. 9600 Bellaire Blvd., Suite 252 Houston, Texas 77036"
  20. ↑ "National Bank List (P-S)." Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Southwestern National Bank Houston TX"
  21. ↑ "Locations." Southwestern National Bank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Main Branch 6901 Corporate Drive Houston, Texas 77036."
  22. ↑ "Texas Daily Newspapers." Texas Music Office. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Contact Information." La Subasta. Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Contact." KPRC-TV. Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
  25. ↑ "北美洲地区." China Airlines. Retrieved on April 24, 2010
  26. ↑ "Branch Offices North America." China Airlines. Retrieved on April 24, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Contact ADV." A.D. Vision. Retrieved on May 8, 2009.
  28. ↑ "ADV Acquires Feature Film 5 Centimeters per Second". Anime News Network. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  29. ↑ "Contact Us." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Board of Directors." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  31. ↑ City of Houston, Council District Maps, District J." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
  32. ↑ Shauk, Zain. "Hispanic-opportunity district draws three candidates." Houston Chronicle. Friday October 14, 2011. Retrieved on November 4, 2011.
  33. ↑ City of Houston, Council District Maps, District F." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
  34. ↑ "Primary Run Area." Houston Fire Department Station 68. Retrieved on December 13, 2008.
  35. ↑ "Fire Stations." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 7, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Fire Station 51." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Fire Station 10." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Welcome to EaDo." East Downtown Management District. Retrieved on August 1, 2009.
  39. ↑ "Station 68." City of Houston. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  40. ↑ "Beat Map." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on April 5, 2010.
  41. ↑ "Crime Statistics for Westside Patrol Division." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 5, 2010.
  42. 1 2 "VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support." City of Houston. Retrieved on September 23, 2008.
  43. ↑ "Police Stations and Neighborhood Storefronts." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on May 27, 2010.
  44. 1 2 3 "Welcome to the city’s newest Police Station." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on April 28, 2010.
  45. ↑ "HPD Celebrates Opening of New Midwest Police Station." Houston Police Department. April 27, 2010. Retrieved on April 28, 2010.
  46. ↑ "Facility Address List." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
  47. ↑ Friedberg, Jennifer. "Funds sought for Gulfton center." Houston Chronicle. January 30, 2007. Retrieved on December 13, 2008.
  48. ↑ Rogers, Susan. "A New Center on the Periphery." Cite. Rice Design Alliance, (Northern Hemisphere) Fall 2009. 24. Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
  49. ↑ Rogers, Susan. "A New Center on the Periphery." Cite. Rice Design Alliance, (Northern Hemisphere) Fall 2009. 23. Retrieved on March 3, 2010.
  50. ↑ "Sharpstown High School Boundary Map." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  51. ↑ "Lee High School Boundary Map." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  52. ↑ "Contact Yes." YES Prep Public Schools. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  53. ↑ "YES Prep Lee." YES Prep Public Schools. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  54. ↑ "YES Prep West." YES Prep Public Schools. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  55. ↑ "YES Prep South." YES Prep Public Schools. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  56. ↑ "Contact Us." Harmony Public Schools]." Retrieved on December 2, 2011. "Harony Public Schools Central Office 9321 W. Sam Houston Pkwy S. Houston, TX 77099"
  57. ↑ "Contact Us." Harmony Science Academy High School. Retrieved on December 2, 2011.
  58. ↑ "Contact." Harmony School of Innovation. Retrieved on December 3, 2011. "Address: 9421 W. Sam Houston Pkwy S Houston, TX 77099"
  59. ↑ "Home." Girls and Boys Preparatory Academy. Retrieved on December 2, 2011. "8282 Bissonnet St. Houston, TX 77074"
  60. ↑ "Walter Neighborhood Library." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on February 5, 2010.
  61. ↑ "HPL Express Southwest." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on February 5, 2010.
  62. ↑ "Houston South Campus." Westwood College. Retrieved on April 24, 2010.
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