INTERIM HEALTHCARE SELECTS PEARLAND FOR REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS 

Interim Healthcare, a privately-held company that has been operating in the Houston market for five years, has selected Pearland for its new operational headquarters after an exhaustive search in the Houston market. PEDC began recruitment efforts for this project in early 2020.

The company, which provides home health care targeted to seniors, is leasing 4,600 square feet of office space in the Trinity Professional Building on Country Place Parkway. The new offices, which opened this summer, are home to Interim Healthcare's skilled nurses, therapists, aides and other health care personnel who service the Houston area.

CARES ACT PPP IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Using data provided by the U.S. Small Business Association, PEDC conducted analysis on the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) recipients in Pearland.

The number of businesses in Pearland's 77581 and 77584 zip codes that received assistance was 1,886 with an estimated total amount of assistance of over $110 million. Amounts of assistance ranged from $200 to $5 million, with an average amount of assistance of $58,806.

The assistance local employers received from PPP allowed for the retention of over 20,000 jobs for those companies.

LOCAL EMPLOYERS SURVEYED ON COVID-19 IMPACT

The City surveyed local businesses to assess the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on local employers. Respondents covered 15 industry sectors with the four largest being Hospitality/ Accommodations (18.7%), Other (17.7%), Health Care and Social Assistance (11.6%) and Retail Trade (10.6%).

The economic impact of COVID-19 has resulted in over 54% of the businesses surveyed reporting a revenue loss of 30% or greater and 71% reporting a revenue loss of 20% or greater. Overall, 87% of respondents reported a loss in revenue due to the pandemic. Forty percent of businesses have needed to reduce staff through furloughs or lay-offs and over 51% expect future reductions of staff.

Other major hardships have been cancellation of group reservations, business closures due to COVID, and inability to pay bills and fees. The City is in the process of determining how it may use CARES Recovery Funds and to help Pearland businesses and will present this information to City Council for consideration.

PROCESS BEGINS TO ENHANCE BUSINESS FORMATION AND EARLY STAGE GROWTH IN PEARLAND

The second focus area of the Pearland Prosperity strategic plan is Business Formation and & Early Stage Growth. PEDC and the Pearland Prosperity Implementation Committee have launched a collaborative process with community partners to evaluate the feasibility of providing some type of hub for entrepreneurship and small business assistance in Pearland. A steering committee has been established to assist in evaluating the entrepreneurial ecosystems and developing subsequent strategies for implementation.

The study which will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will focus on assessing the project’s Market Opportunity by determining if a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) can be developed which will produce the Mission Achievement/Impact Factors desired. Insights into the Pearland and the surrounding region will be gained through a combination of secondary research and primary research interviews. The second phase will focus on developing the Business Model - the operational and cost framework needed to develop, implement and sustain the project’s MVP.

The first phase began in early August and is expected to be complete in December. Phase II will begin January 2021 and be completed in April.

CLEAR CREEK TRAIL MASTER PLAN NOW COMPLETE

In July 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) received $295 million in appropriations to fund the long-planned drainage improvements to the Clear Creek Watershed, which include a major widening of Clear Creek from Dixie Farm to SH 288. The Clear Creek Trail Master Plan (Master Plan) was completed earlier this year to capitalize on this significant infrastructure project and ensure suitable locations for future trails and related amenities are incorporated into the plans. The Clear Creek Trail also realizes the long term vision of the City’s 2007 Trail Master Plan.

Of the Clear Creek Trail’s ultimate 21 miles, 41% or 8.5 miles are already developed, under construction, or have funding in place. The Master Plan was developed through coordination with the various partners of the project, including the City of Pearland, Harris County Precinct #1, and Houston Parks Board, with PEDC funding the plan. 

The next steps involve getting the Master Plan’s trail alignment included in the USACE/Harris County Flood Control's design documents and to achieve environmental clearance on the future trail sections.

The Pearland Prosperity strategic plan outlines the need to make Pearland a more competitive recreation and cultural destination for residents and visitors and recognizes that recreational amenities are critical to attracting jobs and investment within the community. The Clear Creek trail system, as planned, will be a signature recreational amenity for users as we work towards enhancing our community’s quality-of-life to ensure we remain a community of choice in the Houston Metro.

CONTINUED PROGRESS ON STATE HIGHWAY 35: RICE DRIER REDEVELOPMENT

Recently the PEDC Board of Directors and City Council approved an expenditure to proceed with design services associated with the Halik Street reconstruction west of Main Street. Halik represents the third and final phase of public infrastructure reconstruction in the area that is being funded by PEDC to support almost 58 acres of development. Phase I included storm water conveyance, detention and outfall to Old Town ditch and phase II is the reconstruction of Rice Drier west of Main Street. Halik Street and Rice Drier are old and narrow asphalt roads that are in regular need of maintenance due to truck traffic from commercial and industrial growth in the area. The improvements will include a 38-foot wide concrete road with curb and gutter, storm sewers, new waterlines, shared detention facility, and a six-foot sidewalk with brick pavers.

The three phases of public infrastructure projects are part of PEDC’s long term effort to bring more investment and tax base to the area as part of the State Highway 35 Redevelopment Strategy. This strategy, a priority of our Pearland Prosperity strategic plan, was spearheaded by the City and PEDC to transform the SH 35 corridor into a high quality and consistently-designed employment and business environment with compatible land uses and supportive amenities. Last year PEDC completed the new entryway and corridor enhancements on SH 35 from Broadway to the Beltway which was a priority of the plan. In the Rice Drier development area, PEDC has successfully led efforts in recent years to clean up the environmentally contaminated Emchem site, demolish the abandoned Rice Drier elevators and recruit Energy Rental Solutions to the area.

SALES TAX AND UNEMPLOYMENT UPDATE - COVID-19 IMPACT

The impact of COVID-19 on the collection of sales tax in our community was felt with the closing of many businesses in late March and April. Current period collection of sales tax collected during the month of March and April were down 5.5% and 9.7%, respectively. Since May we have seen a positive improvement as the economy has started to open back up with May's current period sales tax collections up 2.2% and June's collections up 5.4% over the same months in 2019.

The unemployment rate in Pearland increased to 10.8% in April from around 3.0% in the preceding months. In May, the rate dropped to 10.4%, compared to 13.9% for the Texas Gulf Coast region, and was the lowest of any city in the region. In June, the rate has dropped again to 7.2%.