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Council approves two $50,000 TDC "mega grants" for Black Forest Flex Park redevelopment
Summary
The Tomball City Council approved two first‑reading TEDC/TDC resolutions to award a $50,000 TDC mega‑grant to each of two separate building projects (Building A and Building B) at 27210 State Highway 249; council debated whether two grants on one site set a precedent but approved both items 5‑0.
The council on July 6 approved two separate TEDC/TDC incentive resolutions to support redevelopment at a single address on State Highway 249, after an extended discussion about program rules and precedent.
TDC staff described the site as two discrete buildings: Building A, a frontage retail renovation with a total project investment of roughly $735,000 for which the TDC recommended a $50,000 mega grant; and Building B, a larger rear flex‑space investment of roughly $626,772 with eligible improvements of about $431,000, for which staff also recommended a $50,000 grant.
Council members probed whether granting incentives to two buildings on the same address would create a loophole and how ‘‘project site’’ is defined in the mega‑grant guidelines. Council member 3 asked directly, “What’s to preclude them from going and just chopping up a bunch of these businesses?” and raised the risk that a single developer could divide a project to increase incentive eligibility. TDC staff and others said projects still must pass through the BRE committee, TEDC board and then council for final approval and that guidelines and case‑by‑case review act as checks.
Supporters said the grants would encourage a coordinated facade treatment and higher‑quality tenants rather than piecemeal tenant‑by‑tenant improvements. One council member urged moving forward with Building A now and evaluating Building B separately if needed; staff noted Building B could return on October 1 if not approved tonight.
Council voted 5‑0 to approve Resolution 2026‑30 (Building A) and then 5‑0 to approve Resolution 2026‑31 (Building B), each authorizing the TDC contribution described in staff recommendations. Both approvals will return to the TDC and BRE processes for final grant closeout steps and compliance verification.
Attributions: project investment figures and program criteria were presented by TDC staff; council debate focused on program design and oversight.
