HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW TRAINING CENTER IN PEARLAND TOWN CENTER

HCA Houston Healthcare broke ground on its HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement in the Pearland Town Center on February 26th.  

The PEDC and city officials began recruitment efforts for this project with HCA and CBL & Associates in 2018. The 48,400 square-foot, state-of-the-art training center will house high-fidelity hospital simulation labs, connected classrooms and de-briefing rooms, where the health system’s nearly 7,000 nurses will receive ongoing clinical education and training. The center will also serve as a hub for all HCA Houston Healthcare new hire orientations and the division’s Leadership and Organizational Development training. The center is scheduled to be open in early 2021.

COMMUNITY APPROVES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PEARLAND

In 2019, PEDC, along with local partners in government, education, healthcare and business embarked on a collaborative community and economic development strategic planning process that will make the community a more prosperous, successful, and vibrant place to live, work, and do business. This plan builds upon the Pearland 20/20 strategy, which the community developed through a similar process in 2013 and has helped catalyze numerous community improvements in recent years.

The resulting Pearland Prosperity Strategic Plan will guide the collective actions of the PEDC and its partners in the coming years.

The plan was approved by the strategic plan steering committee on December 11, 2019, the PEDC Board of Directors on January 30, 2020, the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on February 21, 2020 and City Council on February 24, 2020.

For more details or to download the plan, visit pearlandprosperity.com.  

MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARK IMPROVEMENTS IN LOWER KIRBY

New South Spectrum Blvd. at Kirby Dr. looking east

Lower Kirby is a 1,200 acre mixed-use district located on the southwest corner of Beltway 8 and State Highway 288. PEDC, the City, the Lower Kirby Pearland Management District (LKPMD) and the Pearland Municipal Management District #1 (PMMD1) continue to work on infrastructure developments to facilitate further new investment in Lower Kirby. The City's contribution to the improvements are funded by PEDC.

Construction of South Spectrum Blvd. to Kirby Drive from its existing terminus just west of 288 at Promenade Shops Drive was completed in  December and opened to traffic. The road is in both management districts so it was implemented and funded by LKPMD and PMMD1. Still to be completed is the installation of a traffic signal, along with landscaping, irrigation, and street lighting from Promenade Shops Drive to Kirby Drive, including the affected medians on Kirby Drive. 

America Modern Green (AMG) is developing the Ivy District at the southwest corner of South Spectrum Blvd. and the SH 288 frontage road in Lower Kirby. The Planned Development is proposed to include office, continuing care retirement center, retail, condominiums, townhomes and apartments. The on-site water and sanitary lines, road paving and storm sewer were all accepted by the City in January 2020, completing the subdivision of 48 acres.

Also in January, construction started on the first park in Lower Kirby, located at the amenity lake at the Ivy District. The public park and amenities include a trail, which will serve active and passive recreation needs of those who live, work, or visit Lower Kirby, and a pedestrian bridge across Clear Creek to connect to Shadow Creek Ranch.

One of the key priorities of the Lower Kirby Master Plan was the implementation of a regional drainage and detention plan. As part of this plan, construction is substantially complete on the expansion of the TxDOT ditch.  This expansion, which will be referred to as the North and Central detention ponds, will create additional detention capacity in the District.

PEDC ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF OFFICERS 

PEDC is pleased to announce the election of officers to its Board of Directors.  At its December 11, 2019 board meeting, the Board elected Dr. Hugh Patton as Chair, Mona Chavarria as Vice Chair, and Reid Wendell as Secretary. The elected officers assumed their duties at the January 30th board meeting.