03-05-07 Special Called Joint Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors and the La Porte City Council Minutes

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AREA OVERVIEW 11.17 Project Stars is a collaborative effort of 15 cities located in east Harris County to revitalize the aesthetic appeal of the area while creating a living museum of Texas history. Conceived by the Economic Alliance Port Houston Region's Quality of Life Task Force and endorsed by Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Project Stars will include landscape beautification projects, historic murals and artwork on buildings and petrochemical tanks, redevelopment of historic landmarks, "Star Icons" along historic roadways, historic markers and historic tours of the area. Project Stars was launched in March 2006 with the formation of the San Jacinto Texas Historic District. To date, 26 historic locations have been identified as Stars with a development plan for each location. Filming of the historic scenes and development of the artwork will begin in February 2007 with the official announcement of the project scheduled for San Jacinto Day, April 21, 2007. Tour packages will be developed with the Bayport Cruise Terminal to offer historic tours of the area to cruise ship passengers. Project Stars is expected to be completed over a five-year period. The Economic Alliance Port Houston Region commissioned Avalanche Consulting to perform an economic impact study regarding the impact of Project Stars on Harris County Precinct 2. The results of the study were published in November 2006, as follows: Forecas",d Edih"l!i1c ''''11f of Project ~rs ~,,~ 0'> ~""'" ~_ Direct Impact Indirect Impact Total Impact Construction Phase Impact Construction Expenditures $15,750,000 $20,868,750 $36,618,750 Jobs 158 208 366 Income $5,530,000 $7,327,250 $12,857,250 Project Stars Impact Estimated Spending $24,871,550 $29,845,860 $54,717,410 Estimated Jobs Created 100 170 270 Estimated Income Impact $3,442,000 $2,805,000 $6,247,000 Source: Avalanche Consulting Building the 26 Stars will generate several hundred construction jobs and nearly $40 million in spending. Project Stars is estimated to generate almost 300 permanent jobs and $55 million in spending. As far as economic development, Project Stars is expected to improve the region's physical image, generate a positive community spirit, place Harris County in a national spotlight, and draw new people into the region. Two major historic sites, which are important elements of Project Stars, are in the process of redevelopment: the San Jacinto Monument and Battleground and the Battleship Texas. The 570-foot San Jacinto Monument recently completed an $11 million exterior renovation and a $1.2 million upgrade of its elevator and fire sprinkler system, The San Jacinto Monument houses the San Jacinto Museum of History, a theater showing the history of the battle of San Jacinto, an observation deck at the top of the monument and a gift shop.