Published: Tue, 12/05/23
Houston Chronicle
By Pooja Bhakta, Staff writer
New infrastructure and schools are on the horizon for Manvel as local officials work to stay ahead of development in one of Texas’ fast-growing cities.
The city has grown by nearly 6,000 people since 2020, with a current population of about 16,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
From the arrival of its first H-E-B to expanding residential development, here’s a look at how the city is transforming itself as it becomes one of Houston's next big suburbs.
Manvel Town Center, the new 273-acre retail development by the Weitzman Group, is planning to host popular restaurants, shopping outlets and entertainment. City leaders say the development's arrival is only the start of what's to come.
"Within the city of Manvel over the past year, we've continued to see a remarkable surge in the commercial growth," said Mayor Dan Davis. "We have 13 new commercial permits that were issued and that's a great thing."
The Alvin-Manvel Chamber of Commerce has seen a drastic increase in memberships and businesses within the last year, said president and CEO Cary Perrin.
Article continues below this ad
"We knew, especially with Manvel, when that (Manvel) H-E-B committed…when that opens, that's going to probably open the floodgates for us, and it sure did," he said. "It was really impressive.”
The shopping center opened a new H-E-B and McDonalds this year, with plans to open a Whataburger and more businesses that are under construction.
Construction on the H-E-B — the grocery store’s first Manvel location — began in 2021 at 17119 Highway 6.
Dozens of eager shoppers gathered outside to be the first to enter H-E-B, the anchor for the Town Center, on Oct. 25.
"It's a really kind of a food deprived area, even though it's growing as quickly as it (Manvel) is," Malcolm MacKenzie, general manager of the H-E-B, said when the store opened. "We've got the opportunity to provide those goods and services without them having to travel as far."
It is the first store south of Houston to feature True Texas BBQ, providing smoked meats with sides such as brisket beans, creamed corn and potato salad.
The 106,000-square-foot store is expected to provide more than 500 jobs for the community, according to a news release.
Hillwood Communities, who is spearheading the $75 million development, is spending $50 million on infrastructure, the company’s general manager Russel Bynum told the Chronicle in July.
"Our first phase is always the largest phase," he said. "Not to mention, prices have gone up and costs have increased substantially. We've seen a 20 to 30 percent increase in costs."
Construction on the development near Texas 288 began last fall. It will provide more than 949 residential and commercial lots at buildout, including 30-plus acres of commercial property.
Valencia is expected to be valued at $500 million after completion, with homes ranging from 1,400 to 4,000 square feet priced roughly from $300,000 to $700,000.
A new route from Del Bello Road to Texas 288 will be part of the project, Bynum said.
The route will serve as an alternate way for motorists to go from Texas 6 to Texas 288 without having to go through the congested intersection of those highways, Perrin said.
The city is also working to build a new police station and public works building to accommodate Manvel's residential and commercial growth.
"The police department is very important to the city," said city manager Dan Johnson. "You would not know that if you looked at the police station or the police station before that."
The new 45,000-square-foot police station will be next to the existing station at 6615 Masters. City officials are still searching for a contractor to begin construction in March, he said.
The public works department will be relocating from its rental property to a new building owned by the city near the new police facility, Johnson said.
Manvel's continued growth means a growing demand for water, requiring infrastructure maintenance and improvements to ensure a reliable supply to residents and businesses.
City officials in October announced an increase in water and sewer rates, which took effect Nov. 1 to cover the higher costs of maintenance and services.
Planned improvements include an elevated storage tank that will ensure a consistent water supply by maintaining a pressure in the city's system and the construction of a wastewater treatment facility.
"We have a wastewater treatment plant now, but it's very small and outdated," said city manager Dan Johnson.
The city opened water and wastewater plants designed to support the large Manvel Town Center commercial development earlier this year, according to city officials.
In coming months, the city is prepared to launch a program that will allow remote control and monitoring access to utility facilities so public works officials can troubleshoot from their homes in case of emergencies.
The public works department officially took over the Maverick Water Plant operation that provides water for Manvel High School, 19601 Highway 6.
Alvin ISD officials were wary of Manvel's ability to provide water when the high school first opened in 2006, so they put in their own water plant but decided to join the city's water system this year, Johnson said.
Alvin ISD added several new schools in the last nine years, including Manvel Junior High in 2015, Pomona Elementary School in 2017 and Jackie Doucet Caffey Junior High in 2021.
The district has approximately 29,000 students enrolled and is projected to grow by 1,000 annually.
Several districts are expected to reach enrollment capacity in the next five years, said Rory Gesch, assistant superintendent at Alvin ISD.
"Manvel is an extension of the growth of Houston and just the region in general," Gesch said. "We're seeing some of the same growths in neighboring school districts."
Alvin ISD is preparing to open Bennett Elementary and Iowa Colony Junior High in August 2024 with a combined capacity of 1,800 students.
A school boundary advisory committee met three times in October to revise the district’s elementary and junior high schools attendance zones for the 2024-25 school year. The updated boundaries are meant to alleviate projected overcapacity at multiple schools and create boundaries for two new campuses.
The committee presented its recommendation to the school board on Nov. 14. The board is scheduled to consider approving a finalized boundary plan at the Dec. 12 meeting.
Under the proposed plan, Bennett Elementary would take parts of Savannah Lakes, Meridiana and Sanchez elementary schools' boundaries.
Iowa Colony Junior High would serve the southwest portion of the district and would take on parts of Fairview and Caffey junior high schools. Caffey Junior High's boundaries would shift to the north and east, taking on sections of Manvel and Fairview junior highs.
Dan Davis, Jr., 30, became Manvel's youngest elected mayor in the May 6 city election, receiving more than 64 percent of the votes in a three-person race.
Davis, who was a member of Manvel City Council from 2019-22, said he ran for mayor to improve the lives of community members and his family, who moved to the fast-expanding city in 2017.
Davis said his experience on the council, where he consistently voted against increasing the property tax rate, prepared him for this role.
He said that despite his age, "I want to make a difference. I want to serve my community. So, I went for it."
The city also appointed its new city manager, Dan Johnson, on Nov. 13. He was the interim city manager in June after the previous city manager Kyle Jung left the position after 12 years. Davis said differences in opinion about the vision of Manvel's future led to a mutual separation earlier this summer.
Johnson previously served as a city engineer for Friendswood from 2000-2007 and currently resides in the Friendswood and League City area with his wife, daughter and three stepsons.
Johnson began working for the city of Manvel in 2008 as the consulting city engineer. He became the full-time city engineer and assistant city manager in July 2020.