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NHHIP Update: TXDOT has started work on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project. This phase will not require roadway closures, though one lane of Runnels Street east of Chartres Street will be closed for construction access. More updates to come as construction continues. Read More
Houston Downtown Management District

Houston Downtown Management District

The Houston Downtown Management District has facilitated many of the public and private projects that have transformed Downtown since the District's inception in 1995. 

About HDMD

The Houston Downtown Management District (Downtown District) was formed by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1995, started operation in 1996, and today, more Houston residents as well as visitors see Downtown as a place to live, dine, visit, play, enjoy the arts, learn, and work.

The Downtown District is bounded by the freeway ring around Houston’s urban core, including Interstate 10, Highway 69 and Interstate 45. A 30-member board of directors guides the investment of assessments within the District to improve facilities and services, and to accelerate improvements for the public's benefit above and beyond the level local government and volunteer efforts can provide alone.

Our Plans

The Strategic Alignment Plan (SAP) is designed to unite three organizations: Central Houston, Inc. (CHI), Houston Downtown Management District (HDMD), and Downtown Redevelopment Authority (DRA) in the pursuit of a shared vision for Downtown:

  • provide a defined mission for the entities working collectively, and
  • orchestrate staff efforts through five strategic goals
  • which will, over time, shape the entities’ respective budgets and work plans.

It is intended to work within the boundaries of, and not replace or conflict, with HDMD’s 2020 District Plan and the DRA’s Project Plan. Additionally, the SAP proposes metrics to assist in monitoring progress plus a refreshed organizational structure capable of delivering on the expectations set forth in this plan. Finally, the experience of crafting the SAP together was intended to instill a shared purpose for the three boards and their scores of board members, optimize the use of organizational resources toward the aligned vision, and foster a stronger sense of unity among the staff at CHI.

Strategic Alignment Plan

SAP Updates (Jan 2023-Mar 2023)

2021-2025 Service & Improvement Plan and Assessment Plan

Annual operations, capital budgets and plans are developed and approved by the Board. The mission of the plan is to sustain and manage Downtown, while continuing redevelopment to make it a diverse, accessible and perpetually active core of the Houston region.