Southwest Management District, formerly Greater Sharpstown Management District, is a district in Houston, Texas, United States. The district is split into 6 neighborhoods: Sharpstown, Chinatown, Mahatma Gandhi District/Little India, Westwood, Harwin, and University.
It is governed by a management district which is created by the Texas Legislature. - See maps of Houston-area management districts
History
Construction of the Sharpstown community, the namesake of the district, began circa 1955."History & Demographics." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on December 29, 2010. The Texas Legislature approved the formation of the Greater Sharpstown Management District in 2005.Colley, Jenna. "Road improvements may pave way for change." Houston Business Journal. Friday February 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 10, 2009.
On August 20, 2000, Houston METRO provided its first 24-hour bus service from Downtown to Sharpstown Center. However, due to financial difficulties in building light rail, they had to discontinue the 1:35 am, 2:35 am, and 3:33 am eastbound trips. The last trip from Downtown would leave at 1:05 am, and the First trip at Harwin and Reims would start at 4:00 am Effective January 26, 2003. They have not brought back 24 hour service since then.
After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Louisiana, the zip code 77036 received the largest concentration of Katrina evacuees of any area in the city. 5,991 Katrina evacuees moved into over 2,600 apartment units. Within a wider area, from the 610 Loop to the Houston city limits and from Westpark Drive to U.S. Highway 90A (South Main), 23,000 Katrina evacuees settled there.Turner, Allan. "Evacuees landed in high-crime ZIP codes." Houston Chronicle. Friday January 20, 2006. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
On May 31, 2013, the Houston Fire Department suffered its largest casualty in a single event, the Southwest Inn fire, with four firefighters killed and 13 others were injured while fighting a 5-alarm fire at Southwest Inn, located in Greater Sharpstown."Contact." (Archive) Southwest Inn. Retrieved on June 6, 2013."Map Major Roads." (Archive) Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on August 15, 2009.
Cityscape The district consists of around of land, bounded by the Westpark Tollway to the north, Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59 and Bissonnet to the south, Beltway 8 to the west, and Hillcroft to the east."About the District." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. I-69/U.S. 59, the Westpark Tollway, and Beltway 8 are the main transit arteries. The main commercial arteries of the district are Bellaire Boulevard and Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59. The management district government estimates that the district is 15 minutes driving time from Downtown Houston. The district has about 8,000 single-family houses and 7,000 condominiums and townhouses. Greater Sharpstown includes the Sharpstown subdivision, the portion of Chinatown inside Beltway 8, a portion of Forum Park, and other nearby subdivisions.Rodriguez, Lori. "Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side." (Archive). Alternate version without Chinatown map: "DIVERSITY DEBATE / Chinatown outgrowing name / Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday May 9, 2007. A1. The district is divided into several zones, including:"District Zones." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010."Slide1dh2-820x345.jpg." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on December 29, 2010. Chinatown (the portion of Chinatown within Greater Sharpstown)"Chinatown." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. Harwin"Harwin." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. Sharpstown"Sharpstown." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. South Asia"South Asia." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. University Westwood (Westwood Mall area)"Westwood." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. In 2010 the district announced that it will implement new and distinctly designed street signage to mark the various zones within Greater Sharpstown (replacing the existing standard city of Houston signage); installation began in the late winter of 2011."Signage project will be moving forward." Greater Sharpstown Management District. September 8, 2010. Retrieved on December 29, 2010.
Demographics As of 2010 Greater Sharpstown has about 94,500 residents. Among the district residents are African Americans, Chinese Americans, Hispanic Americans, Vietnamese Americans. Up until the late 1980s White Americans were the majority. Many former residents left, going to First Colony, Missouri City, Pearland, Stafford, and Sugar Land as the City of Houston expanded.
Economy
National Oilwell Varco has its headquarters in Greater Sharpstown."Contact Us." National Oilwell Varco. Retrieved on February 5, 2010. MetroCorp Bancshares and subsidiary MetroBank have their headquarters in Greater Sharpstown and in Chinatown."Contact the Board." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Corporate Secretary MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. 9600 Bellaire Blvd. Suite 252 Houston, TX 77036 United States.""Contact Us." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "MetroBank, N.A. 9600 Bellaire Blvd., Suite 252 Houston, Texas 77036" Southwestern National Bank also has its headquarters in Chinatown and Greater Sharpstown."National Bank List (P-S)." Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Southwestern National Bank Houston TX""Locations." Southwestern National Bank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Main Branch 6901 Corporate Drive Houston, Texas 77036." La Subasta Inc. (formerly El Día, Inc.), which publishes and which published El Día, has its offices in Greater Sharpstown."Texas Daily Newspapers." Texas Music Office. Retrieved on May 22, 2010."Contact Information." . Retrieved on May 22, 2010.
KPRC-TV has its studios in Greater Sharpstown."Contact." KPRC-TV. Retrieved on March 3, 2010. The China Airlines Houston Mini Office (Chinese: 休士顿营业所, Pinyin: Xiūshìdùn Yíngyèsuǒ"北美洲地区." China Airlines. Retrieved on April 24, 2010) is located in 2 Arena Place in the Arena Place complex in Greater Sharpstown."Branch Offices North America." China Airlines. Retrieved on April 24, 2010.
Prior to its dissolution, A.D. Vision, an anime and manga company, was headquartered in Greater Sharpstown."Contact ADV." A.D. Vision. Retrieved on May 8, 2009.
Government Management district The district headquarters are located in Suite 109 at 9788 Clarewood Drive."Contact Us." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010. The management district is governed by a board of directors, and board meetings are held once every month in the district headquarters."Board of Directors." Greater Sharpstown. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
Municipal government
Most of Greater Sharpstown is in Houston City Council District J.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District J." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011. District J was created to allow Hispanics to more easily elect representatives who cater to them.Shauk, Zain. "Hispanic-opportunity district draws three candidates." Houston Chronicle. Friday October 14, 2011. Retrieved on November 4, 2011. Some of it is in city council district F.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District F." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
The Houston Fire Department operates fire services in Greater Sharpstown, with the primary run area of Fire District 68 covering a lot of territory in Greater Sharpstown."Primary Run Area." Houston Fire Department Station 68. Retrieved on December 13, 2008. Fire stations located within the district boundaries include Station 51 Sharpstown, a part of Fire District 68, and Station 10 Bellaire, a part of Fire District 83."Fire Stations." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 7, 2010. Station 51 opened in 1962. Since then it had two facelifts and a renovation in the financial year of 1999."Fire Station 51." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010. Station 10, previously located in what is now East Downtown, relocated to its current location in the new Chinatown and in Greater Sharpstown in 1985."Fire Station 10." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010."Welcome to EaDo." East Downtown Management District. Retrieved on August 1, 2009. Station 68 Braeburn Glen, adjacent to the district, opened in 1973."Station 68." City of Houston. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
The neighborhood is served by three Houston Police Department patrol divisions. Most areas north and west of U.S. Route 59 are served by the Midwest Patrol Division, while the far western portion of Greater Sharpstown is served by the Westside Patrol Division. Areas south and east of U.S. 59 are served by the Fondren Patrol Division."Beat Map." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on April 5, 2010. The portion that is now in the Midwest Patrol Division was formerly in the Westside Patrol Division."Crime Statistics for Westside Patrol Division." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 5, 2010. The Midwest division operates the Ranchester Storefront along Bellaire Boulevard in the new Chinatown and in Greater Sharpstown." VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support." City of Houston. Retrieved on September 23, 2008."Police Stations and Neighborhood Storefronts." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on May 27, 2010.
The Midwest Patrol Division headquarters are located in a building in the district."Welcome to the city's newest Police Station." Houston Police Department. Retrieved on April 28, 2010. The city purchased the building, a former business college, in November 2007. The operations in the facility began on March 1, 2010. The process of the purchase and renovation was a two-year project. The official grand opening of the station was held on April 27, 2010."HPD Celebrates Opening of New Midwest Police Station." Houston Police Department. April 27, 2010. Retrieved on April 28, 2010. The station has 159 police officers and civilians assigned to the patrol division, one investigative first responder (IFR) squad, and two narcotics squads. The facility has available furnished space for two additional investigative squads and of unfurnished space for future expansion. The building has a room which functions as a public meeting room and an in-service training room which seats up to 80 people. The facility has a gymnasium, a jail lockup for class C prisoners, down rooms for men and women, a break room, a kitchenette, full-sized lockers for the employees, an emergency generator, an ice machine, and hurricane supplies.
The City of Houston Health Department operates the Sharpstown Health Services clinic.
County government Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Valbona Health Center (formerly People's Health Center) in Greater Sharpstown for ZIP code 77074. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. - See ZIP code 77074. See this map for relevant ZIP code.
State representation The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (formerly of the Texas Youth Commission) Houston District Office is located in Greater Sharpstown."Facility Address List." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
Culture