A RESURGENCE IN MIDTOWN HOUSTON

BY JENNIFER GRIBBLE COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR

For so many decades South Main Baptist Church has been a beautiful, welcoming island in Midtown Houston. Our church has been an important center of worship and community life in the neighborhood for over a century and is known for its beautiful stained glass windows and stunning architecture. As Midtown grows into the next chapter, it is important that we take time to learn a little about Midtown’s history as well.

Midtown was a fashionable residential district before World War I. However, encroaching commercial development and heavy traffic sent high-income homeowners in search of quieter neighborhoods. In the mid-20th century, the neighborhood began to decline, as the construction of highways and the growth of the suburbs pulled residents and businesses away from Midtown Houston.

The Midtown Houston Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) was established in 1995 by the City of Houston as a tool for financing public infrastructure improvements and encouraging economic development in the Midtown area. TIRZ operates by using the increase in property tax revenues generated