Brays Oaks, formerly known as Fondren Southwest, is an area in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States. The Brays Oaks Management District, also known as the Harris County Improvement District #5, governs the Brays Oaks area as well as other surrounding areas, such as Westbury. The City of Houston also defines the Brays Oaks Super Neighborhood, with separate boundaries.

History The area now known as Brays Oaks was originally the ranch property of Walter Fondren, an oil businessperson."History & Demographics ." Brays Oaks Management District. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s many apartments opened in an area then known as Fondren Southwest. The community was mostly White and Jewish. The newly established apartments attracted young, White professionals who were leaving Stella Link and other declining areas. The area economy benefited from the increase in population, and many expensive restaurants and strip malls opened in Fondren Southwest.Malislow, Craig. "Moving On." Houston Press. October 17, 2002. 1. Retrieved on August 12, 2009. At one time many members of the Houston Rockets and other sports teams resided in the Northfield subdivision, which was among the outermost parts of the city in 1974, in Fondren Southwest.Rodriguez, Lori. "A HALF-EMPTY, HALF-FULL WORLD/They want a neighborhood that they all can live with/Common ground is rare for Fondren Southwest." Houston Chronicle. Sunday May 25, 1997. A1. Retrieved on December 30, 2011. Available from the Houston Public Library website, accessible with a library card number and PIN.

In the mid-1980s the oil-based economy collapsed. Property values decreased and apartment complexes began to decline. The young professionals left the apartments. The expensive restaurants left the area, since the young professionals left. The owners of the apartments lowered rent rates and offered "free move-in" specials. Many poor African-American and Hispanic families moved into units originally designated for singles and couples. Apartment complexes failed and received foreclosure. Many apartments had changed of ownership around every two years; the out of state owners were more interested in maximizing profits and less interested in the maintenance of the complexes. In the late 1980s the White population decreased and the Black and Hispanic populations increased.Malislow, Craig. "Moving On." Houston Press. October 17, 2002. 2. Retrieved on August 12, 2009.

By the mid-1990s property values in the area began to increase and several middle class minorities moved into Fondren Southwest. Around the 2000s Orthodox Jewish congregations moved to Fondren Southwest. In 2005 Houston City Council Member Mark Goldberg and Jim Myers, head of the nonprofit group Southwest Houston 2000 Inc., lobbied the state government, asking the state to create what was originally called the Fondren Ranch Management District.Colley, Jenna. "Fondren lobbies for management district." Houston Business Journal. Friday March 18, 2005. Retrieved on August 10, 2009. In June 2005 the 79th Texas Legislature created the Brays Oaks Management District in the area. KTRK-TV described the name change as a rebranding for the community.

In 2005 residents of an area at the intersection of Beltway 8 and West Bellfort Road protested against the construction of a proposed trash transfer station. The area sits on a landfill previously used by the cities of Bellaire and West University Place.Kilday, Anne Marie. "Southwest Houston residents protest proposed trash station." Houston Chronicle. Friday July 2, 2004. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.

In 2009 the district began a $250,000 master plan to increase identification of the area and to beautify esplanades. Ten boulders were placed in the district esplanades beginning on January 22, 2009.Martin, Betty L. "SOUTHWEST HOUSTON / Boulders placed in area esplanades / Brays Oaks Management District gets formal dedication." Houston Chronicle. Thursday January 29, 2009. Retrieved on August 10, 2009.

In 2011 the district expanded in size."Parks & Recreation." Brays Oaks. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.

Cityscape The district, entirely within the City of Houston and Harris County, has of territory, centered on the historical Fondren Southwest area. The district is bounded by Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59, Bissonnet Road, U.S. Route 90A/Main Street, and South Post Oak. As of 2011 it has about 73,000 residents in about 2,700 households. Several subdivisions, including Braeburn Valley West, Glenshire,"SN #36 ." City of Houston. Retrieved on August 17, 2009. and Westbury are in Brays Oaks."Enroll_Expansion.pdf ." Brays Oaks Management District. Retrieved on October 23, 2011. The district expanded in size in 2011.

Originally, the district had about of land. It was bounded by Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59, Brays Bayou, Hillcroft Avenue, and U.S. Route 90A (South Main), including areas within the City of Houston and excluding areas within the Westbury subdivision.Home page. Brays Oaks Management District. Retrieved on August 10, 2009. "The boundaries are from Hillcroft Avenue on the east to US 59 on the west; Brays Bayou is the northern boundary and US 90A/Main Street our southern edge. The District is entirely in Houston and Harris County, Texas, as well as in the City of Houston’s Council District C. None of the District includes any of the Westbury subdivision." In 2005 what would become the original boundaries include 37 neighborhoods with about 12,000 single-family houses. It also included about 76 apartment complexes with over 15,000 units. The original Fondren Southwest area has the boundaries of South Braeswood, U.S. 90A, Hillcroft, and I-69/U.S. 59. Most apartments in Fondren Southwest have between 300 and 400 units. Lori Rodriguez of the Houston Chronicle said that many of them "bear names evocative of more idyllic times: Sandpiper. Rainy Meadows."

Originally the only residential establishments in Fondren Southwest were houses. Gessner Road was a dirt road, and the pavement along South Braeswood Boulevard ended at Fondren Road. Ruth Hurst, a resident quoted in the Houston Chronicle, said "It was like living in the middle of the city, but in the country".

In 1990, of the housing facilities in Fondren Southwest community, 60% were multifamily facilities, and 40% were single family facilities. Of the housing units, 54% were occupied by renters, 31% were occupied by owners, and the remainder were vacant. In 1997 Fondren Southwest had about 60 apartment complexes. Many of the apartment complexes were not designed to house children.

Economy As of 2005 the area that would become the original Brays Oaks district boundaries had between 200 and 300 businesses. State of Texas guidelines consider apartment complexes to be commercial businesses, so the figure includes apartment complexes. Foodarama has its corporate headquarters in Store #1 in Brays Oaks."Contact Us." Foodarama. Retrieved on December 1, 2011. "Mailing Address 10810 South Post Oak Rd. Houston, Tx 77035.""Locations." Foodarama. Retrieved on December 1, 2011. "Foodarama 1" and "10810 S Post Oak Rd Houston 77035"

Demographics In 2015 the Brays Oaks Super Neighborhood, a City of Houston-defined area with different boundaries from the management district, had 64,548 people. 45% were non-Hispanic black, 33% were Hispanic or Latino, 13% were non-Hispanic White, 6% were non-Hispanic Asian, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. The per square mile population was 8.160.

In 2000 the super neighborhood, then known as the Greater Fondren Southwest Super Neighborhood, had 49,436 residents. 53% were non-Hispanic black, 25% were Hispanic or Latino, 15% were non-Hispanic whites, 6% were non-Hispanic Asians, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. The number of persons per square mile was 6,250.

In the late 1980s the White population in the Fondren Southwest area decreased from 74 percent to 41 percent. During the same decade the African-American population increased from 14 percent to 47 percent and the Hispanic population increased from 8 percent to 21 percent. Between the 1990 U.S. census and the 2000 U.S. census, Fondren Southwest finished shifting from a mostly White and Jewish community to a mostly Black community. The black population increased from 22,942 to 36,625, a 60% increase. The White population decreased from 23,994 to 13,328, a 44% decrease.Rodriguez, Lori. "THE CENSUS / Census study: White flight soars / UH analysis spots segregation trend." Houston Chronicle. Sunday April 15, 2001. A1. Retrieved on December 30, 2011.

Fondren Southwest is home to one of the centers of Orthodox Jewish life in Houston. The neighborhood is home to three Orthodox synagogues: Chabad Lubavitch Center of Houston, Young Israel of Houston, and Congregation Beth Rambam. The neighborhoods surrounding the synagogues have an eruv maintained by Young Israel of Houston. There are also two Orthodox Jewish day schools in the area: Torah Day School of Houston and Yeshivat Torat Emet. There is also an Orthodox Jewish girls' high school, Torah Girls Academy of Texas.

Government and infrastructure

The Brays Oaks Towers, located at 10101 and 10103 Fondren Road at Dumfries, contain various agencies and services for the community; the management district is headquartered in Suite 300 at 10103 Fondren. The two structures, each with five stories and of space, opened in 1981 as Chancellor Atrium 1 and 2. Rockwell Management, operating as Brays Oaks Towers LP, purchased them in September 2006. After a multimillion-dollar renovation the towers re-opened in June 2007. They were the first commercial buildings to be redeveloped in the area in two decades.Hall, Christine. "Office building redevelopment first in 20 years for Brays Oaks." Houston Business Journal. Friday June 1, 2007. Retrieved on August 10, 2009.

Most of Braes Oaks is within Houston City Council District K.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District K ." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011. Portions are within districts C and J.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District C ." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District J ." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011. In the 2000s all of what is now Brays Oaks was in District C."City of Houston Council District "C"." City of Houston. April 15, 2003. Retrieved on November 7, 2011. In the 1990s almost all of it was in district C, with a small portion in District F."map3.gif." City of Houston. February 11, 1997. Retrieved on November 7, 2011.