Redevelopment Fourth Ward, Houston

the rutherford b. h. yates house

the handbook of texas said in 1980s , 1990s continued future of fourth ward black community came under serious attack due plans demolish allen parkway village , replace complex housing high income people , office buildings. handbook of texas said citizen opposition , more importantly mid-1980s economic decline delayed plans. handbook of texas said neglect of housing units , resulting disappearance of units, reluctance of investors invest capital fourth ward, , future of neighborhood undermined [t]he viability of fourth ward. on january 17, 1985, freedmen s town added national register of historic places list. because placed on register, federal redevelopment funds no longer used demolish structures.

on tuesday may 21, 1991 several residents attending community meeting told dennis storemski, chief of houston police department police officers routinely harassed community residents. people attending meeting accuse police of extorting drug dealers, harassing , stealing young people, , treating fourth ward residents disrespect. in northern hemisphere summer of 1991, beginning in may several fires occurred in fourth ward, 3 buildings effected in each 30-day interval. august 1991 9 houses, run-down, had been effected fires. gladys house, former head of fourth ward freedmen s town association, , other area activists expressed belief fires arson intended allow owners of houses collect insurance money , facilitate redevelopment of fourth ward. similar fires had occurred in winter, , believed vagrants trying stay warm had caused them, house said suspicion increased when fires began occurring in spring , summer. h.g. torres, assistant chief of arson bureau of houston fire department, said timings of fires made bureau suspect arson. association offered $1,000 reward information resulted in arrest of suspect.

in 1990s former city planning commission member founded houston renaissance, nonprofit private charity sustained federal , municipal funds. charity bought large portions of community , announced plans redevelop parcels affordable housing. instead charity defaulted , houston housing finance corp. took control of lands. city divided parcels east , west. city sold parcels closest downtown houston private developers. city used acquired funds develop remaining parcels subsidized houses, each priced around $110,000.

historic oaks of allen parkway village

the houston housing authority made unanimous vote demolish allen parkway village. caused residents begin campaign rescue complex. legal campaign reached 5th u.s. circuit court of appeals. in 1996 henry cisneros, head of u.s. department of housing , urban development, signed agreement allow city of houston demolish 677 of community s 963 units long site still used low income housing. remaining old units placed on national register of historic places , not demolished.

in late 1990s , 2000s, area has been undergoing gentrification, many new mid-rise apartment complexes , upscale townhomes being built. beginning in mid-1990s, shotgun shacks torn down, townhouses replacing them. many long-time residents, renters, have moved out, unable afford increasing rent due rising property values. while low income renters moved out of neighborhood, wealthy homeowners moved in. during late 1990s fourth ward redevelopment corporation founded in order preserve historical aspects of community.

by 1999 remaining portions of allen parkway village renamed historic oaks of allen parkway , had around 500 residential units. of 500 units 280 existing units , 220 newly constructed $30 million federal funding. first new group of tenants consisted of 156 low income elderly individuals.

by 2004 portions of fourth ward became part of midtown community. apartments, restaurants, , townhouses replaced many of former fourth ward historical landmarks. during year jeannie kever of houston chronicle said many people claim late salvage historical aspects of community. marcia johnson, chairperson of fourth ward redevelopment corp., said has been destroyed. patricia smith prather, executive director of texas trailblazer preservation association, said in 2004 developers have literally stolen fourth ward. s gone. there s no high school there. there s no library there. garnet coleman, texas state representative of third ward, said in 2009 fourth ward cannot recapture sense of community used have. coleman added residents got pushed suburbs, , businesses got wiped away. houston chronicle said re-development of fourth ward reflected general trend of city officials , city residents allowing destruction of historic houses , fourth ward becoming western extension of midtown s condo , loft district. in 2011 lisa gray of houston chronicle said hardly calls freedman s town or fourth ward anymore. s midtown.

in 2007 municipal government offered remove historic bricks streets city can improve subterranean infrastructure; city wanted place bricks in place. residents , preservationists opposed measure. staff of houston chronicle argued temporary moving of bricks reasonable measure. in march 2010 town hall meeting, residents accused police officers in area of racial profiling.

due areas midtown, montrose, , heights becoming low on land use, plus fourth ward s close proximity downtown houston, many developers finding area prime developing apartments, office space, , retail. new apartment developments have arrived fourth ward, new developments @ intersections of dallas , gillette streets, saulnier , crosby streets, , west gray , bailey streets. houston-based dc partners , tianqing real estate development llc in process of developing allen, multiple high-rise, mixed-use project off allen parkway , gillette street featuring thompson hotel, condos, apartments, office space, , retail/restaurants. project connect buffalo bayou park skywalk on allen parkway.