EDC director reports $7 billion in potential private investment and plans for housing and small-business events

Emilio Livarrio, director of the City of Cleveland Economic Development Corporation, reported to the board on business-development outreach, potential private investment and upcoming community events.

Livarrio said the city and EDC have responded to numerous requests for information (RFIs) and have “sought close to $7,000,000,000 worth of potential private investment thus far in 2025,” adding the opportunities cited by consultants could “create up to 6,600 new primary jobs in the Cleveland area.” He noted those figures represent potential projects and that “this isn't necessarily investment that would materialize.”

Livarrio described regional economic development partnerships used in outreach, listing the governor’s office of economic development and the Greater Houston Partnership. He said consultants are arranging meetings with regional commercial and industrial real-estate professionals, site selectors and developers to follow up on prospects.

On community engagement, Livarrio said the EDC will co-host a community housing fair June 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cleveland Civic Center in collaboration with a local nonprofit, and is planning a small-business education event with the Small Business Administration’s Houston office on July 17 at the Civic Center. He also said the EDC is exploring educational partnerships with CISD CTE students for certain park or facilities projects; timing may push that work to the next school year.

Board members praised staff outreach and noted the scale of the potential investment but emphasized that the figures are preliminary. No formal action to commit funding or adopt contracts was recorded at the meeting; Livarrio said the amounts represent opportunity pipelines rather than guaranteed commitments.