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<br />A significant industrial and retail business community frames and encapsulates the residential
<br />area of the Northside. One cannot enter the Northside neighborhood without crossing the natural
<br />geographic boundaries created by Main Street businesses on the south, Broad way commercial
<br />areas on the west, tbe Port of Houston industrial complexes and truck traffic from Barbour's Cut
<br />on the north, and the light industries and small businesses on the SH 149 feeder and 8111 Street on
<br />the east. These border areas are permanent, immutable parts of the Northside neighborhood, as
<br />intricately intertwined in the future of the residential community as the residents themselves.
<br />Without doubt, they are part of the neighborhood's problems and will be part of their solution.
<br />
<br />Since a major factor driving the entire planning process 'is the community's desire to attract new
<br />families to the Northside, it is important to understand that prospective bome buyers seek more
<br />than just a house. They also want to live in areas that show strong si gns of social and economic
<br />vitali ty . For better or worse, the bordering commercial zones create a visitor's firs t impression of
<br />the Northside. And, like the neighborhood they surround, the business areas show evidence of
<br />decline. While there are a nwnber of well-kept, apparently thriving retail businesses on Main
<br />Street, there are also numerous vacant, boarded-up storefronts. Along Broadway and alii Street
<br />some poorly maintained industrial and light commercial properties need to be cleaned up. Lastly,
<br />overgrown vacant lots that front on Slll Street, Barbour's Cut and Broadway attract illegal '
<br />dumping, harbor vermin and detract from the overall appearance of the Northside area. Strategies
<br />and action recommendations described in the Beautification and Urban Design section will help
<br />increase the Northside's overall appeal.
<br />
<br />. .
<br />Besides the improvement of the commercial zones' physical condition, there perhaps are more
<br />important opportunities available to benefit both present and potential Northside citizens. lJt ese
<br />opportunities lie in building up the business community and attracting new commerce. A major
<br />concern of North side citizens expressed in the September community meeting, by the Steering
<br />Committee, and by respondents to the neighborhood survey is the ne ed for j~bs and j ob training.
<br />
<br />Two factors offer hope that these needs may be met. First is the fact that the state of the national
<br />and regional economy is strong, and the outlook for the future looks bright. Texans have more
<br />disposable income, the job market is tight, and opportunities for new business andjob creation
<br />abound. The second factor is the Port of Houston's plans to build a new container tencinal at
<br />Bayport. With funding approved by Harris County voters, this project will produce an estima ted
<br />2S,580 jobs for the area and S633.3 million in revenues. By taking certain proactive steps now,
<br />the Northside area has an excellent opportunity to capture a portion of these strong economic
<br />trends and new developments for itself. .
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<br />Strategy: Develop a visionary, community-based system to direct actions toward building
<br />a strong economic base for new businesses and Jobs together with affordable housIng
<br />initiatives
<br />
<br />To seize the opportunities for renewal that now seem apparent requires consideration of a method
<br />for organizing and implementing a variety ofprograms and initiatives that will help the Northside
<br />reach its potential. This is a task that requires the development of a common vision among all .
<br />those who would stand to gain by the revitalization of the Northside area - its present and future '
<br />neighborhood residents, property owners, church leaders, school administrators and teachers,
<br />business owners, government officials and, by extension, aU those who live and worle in La Porte.
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