I think it is time to rebrand CS Midtown. My first choice would be Southtown. Plays on the location within BCS while also playing off Southtown for Chicago White Sox and Bricktown with the baseball fields. Give the area a reset and start a new marketing campaign.
City Council Place 5 - Strategic Planning - Feb 16, 2026
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Last: 6 days ago by whoop1995
rockelle said:Quote:
Midtown. Yes.
Midtown branding and district. Yes.
Change the name/ branding. If you are going to pour resources and money into an area to attract people and businesses, perhaps don't add to the confusion of the same name used for an established area 7 miles away.
I know that's a conundrum. I've thought about it many times. I floated MidCity before. Didn't gain much traction.
Respectfully
Bob Yancy '95
Omperlodge said:
I think it is time to rebrand CS Midtown. My first choice would be Southtown. Plays on the location within BCS while also playing off Southtown for Chicago White Sox and Bricktown with the baseball fields. Give the area a reset and start a new marketing campaign.
I take it that North Navasota is taken ; )
I think the naming of things is more impactful and meaningful when it is named after prominent visual features, other than a vague and slightly incorrect directional location. The most prominent feature in that area of town is Lick Creek. It has a decent size floodplain that will not be developed so it will remain visible.
We already have the greenway and trail that that connect all the way to Lick Creel Park. If you really want a "sense of place" and a name that will stick, I say go with something Creek based. Creekside District or something. Tie into the existing greenway. Make small parkland areas in the undevelopable areas. Lean in to what is there, dont force a "midtown" name for something that is not there.
See Pebble Creek and Williams Creek
We already have the greenway and trail that that connect all the way to Lick Creel Park. If you really want a "sense of place" and a name that will stick, I say go with something Creek based. Creekside District or something. Tie into the existing greenway. Make small parkland areas in the undevelopable areas. Lean in to what is there, dont force a "midtown" name for something that is not there.
See Pebble Creek and Williams Creek
Who named it Midtown from the beginning? Developer or the City?
Quote:
Employers look for abundant affordable housing and workforce, for sure.
FIFY
EriktheRed said:
We already have the greenway and trail that that connect all the way to Lick Creel Park. If you really want a "sense of place" and a name that will stick, I say go with something Creek based. Creekside District or something. Tie into the existing greenway. Make small parkland areas in the undevelopable areas. Lean in to what is there, dont force a "midtown" name for something that is not there.
See Pebble Creek and Williams Creek
What about Greenway District? Hopefully I formatted that correctly!
MsDoubleD81 said:EriktheRed said:
What about Greenway District?
I would also offer that Greenway District or Creekside District make for much easier branding/graphics/colors/etc than Midtown
EriktheRed said:
I think the naming of things is more impactful and meaningful when it is named after prominent visual features, other than a vague and slightly incorrect directional location. The most prominent feature in that area of town is Lick Creek. It has a decent size floodplain that will not be developed so it will remain visible.
We already have the greenway and trail that that connect all the way to Lick Creel Park. If you really want a "sense of place" and a name that will stick, I say go with something Creek based. Creekside District or something. Tie into the existing greenway. Make small parkland areas in the undevelopable areas. Lean in to what is there, dont force a "midtown" name for something that is not there.
See Pebble Creek and Williams Creek
Eh, everything here being named after geographic features is old. Really old. The school names are the worst. Everything is a prairie, creek, trail, valley, forest, hill, or river. And between Bee Creek, Lick Creek, Gibbons Creek, etc., I've heard enough about creeks too.
As an outdoorsman and nature lover, I prefer it that way over Uptown, Midtown, Downtown, Medical District, etc, etc.
I agree, it is "old" but maybe its always been done that way for a reason.
Do you prefer Midtown, or something else?
I agree, it is "old" but maybe its always been done that way for a reason.
Do you prefer Midtown, or something else?
Probably something else. Not sure what though.
The town where I'm from, "creekside" was a government housing project. Don't give COCS any ideas.
MsDoubleD81 said:EriktheRed said:
We already have the greenway and trail that that connect all the way to Lick Creel Park. If you really want a "sense of place" and a name that will stick, I say go with something Creek based. Creekside District or something. Tie into the existing greenway. Make small parkland areas in the undevelopable areas. Lean in to what is there, dont force a "midtown" name for something that is not there.
See Pebble Creek and Williams Creek
What about Greenway District? Hopefully I formatted that correctly!
I like Greenway District.
Average Joe said:Quote:
Drop goal of a "consumer based economy." Diversify it. Professional. Tech. Light mfg. Emerging, but established firms yet to reach apogee.
I agree with pretty much everything there and love the transparency, but this is #1 to me. I feel like we still struggle to keep young professionals and attract young families. Maybe I'm wrong in that, but those two demographics will drive most everything else on the list.
In 2010, 25 to 34 year olds were almost 40% of the population of College Station. By 2024, that number had fallen to less than 30%. That's a startling fact given how we were once a beacon of opportunity for that demographic. Young urban professionals and young working families are choosing to leave, or not locate here, more and more each year. That is the OPPOSITE of the state of Texas overall. At the same time, those seniors with frozen tax valuations keep gaining as a % of population.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
*with attribution to CSAN for the spreadsheet data
They can't afford housing, there are few professional jobs for their experience level, and not a ton of folks in their age bracket.
I'm 27 and have lived in College Station for nearly 10 years. When I graduated in 2022, most of my friends who had finished school earlier stayed local they got jobs here in town or worked for our church. It was great to have that built in community and do life together.
Fast forward to now, and almost all of them have moved away. Only one remains.
The statistics shown aren't just abstract numbers they represent my friends and so many others like them.
This mass exodus is a serious concern, and it should alarm people.
There's little hope for young adults here. Almost no one my age I talk to expresses excitement about building a life in College Station. Instead, they're struggling to figure out a realistic plan to actually thrive here.
We need to start addressing this problem head on before it's too late.
Fast forward to now, and almost all of them have moved away. Only one remains.
The statistics shown aren't just abstract numbers they represent my friends and so many others like them.
This mass exodus is a serious concern, and it should alarm people.
There's little hope for young adults here. Almost no one my age I talk to expresses excitement about building a life in College Station. Instead, they're struggling to figure out a realistic plan to actually thrive here.
We need to start addressing this problem head on before it's too late.
Bob Yancy said:Average Joe said:Quote:
Drop goal of a "consumer based economy." Diversify it. Professional. Tech. Light mfg. Emerging, but established firms yet to reach apogee.
I agree with pretty much everything there and love the transparency, but this is #1 to me. I feel like we still struggle to keep young professionals and attract young families. Maybe I'm wrong in that, but those two demographics will drive most everything else on the list.
In 2010, 25 to 34 year olds were almost 40% of the population of College Station. By 2024, that number had fallen to less than 30%. That's a startling fact given how we were once a beacon of opportunity for that demographic. Young urban professionals and young working families are choosing to leave, or not locate here, more and more each year. That is the OPPOSITE of the state of Texas overall. At the same time, those seniors with frozen tax valuations keep gaining as a % of population.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
*with attribution to CSAN for the spreadsheet data
OR more retirees are moving to CoCS from Houston/Dallas/Austin etc.
doubledog said:Bob Yancy said:Average Joe said:Quote:
Drop goal of a "consumer based economy." Diversify it. Professional. Tech. Light mfg. Emerging, but established firms yet to reach apogee.
I agree with pretty much everything there and love the transparency, but this is #1 to me. I feel like we still struggle to keep young professionals and attract young families. Maybe I'm wrong in that, but those two demographics will drive most everything else on the list.
In 2010, 25 to 34 year olds were almost 40% of the population of College Station. By 2024, that number had fallen to less than 30%. That's a startling fact given how we were once a beacon of opportunity for that demographic. Young urban professionals and young working families are choosing to leave, or not locate here, more and more each year. That is the OPPOSITE of the state of Texas overall. At the same time, those seniors with frozen tax valuations keep gaining as a % of population.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
*with attribution to CSAN for the spreadsheet data
OR more retirees are moving to CoCS from Houston/Dallas/Austin etc.
A super majority of my friends went to high school elsewhere, attended TAMU, and live here now. Like me. Not all, to be sure, but most.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
I will chime in on this from experience with my transient staff. I don't have hard data, but I do hear the majority of them say "I can't wait to graduate and get out of here".
I'm sure there's many different reasons they could be saying that, but it does speak to a common desire from youth to explore what else is out there. Of course, many are Houstonians who just simply want to go home to the big city they are used to.
That said, it seems to me that the only thing that would sway them would be very good job opportunities.
I'm sure there's many different reasons they could be saying that, but it does speak to a common desire from youth to explore what else is out there. Of course, many are Houstonians who just simply want to go home to the big city they are used to.
That said, it seems to me that the only thing that would sway them would be very good job opportunities.
Costa and Andreas said:
I will chime in on this from experience with my transient staff. I don't have hard data, but I do hear the majority of them say "I can't wait to graduate and get out of here".
I'm sure there's many different reasons they could be saying that, but it does speak to a common desire from youth to explore what else is out there. Of course, many are Houstonians who just simply want to go home to the big city they are used to.
That said, it seems to me that the only thing that would sway them would be very good job opportunities.
Thats what swayed me. That and a starter home for $75k.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
Bob Yancy said:Costa and Andreas said:
I will chime in on this from experience with my transient staff. I don't have hard data, but I do hear the majority of them say "I can't wait to graduate and get out of here".
I'm sure there's many different reasons they could be saying that, but it does speak to a common desire from youth to explore what else is out there. Of course, many are Houstonians who just simply want to go home to the big city they are used to.
That said, it seems to me that the only thing that would sway them would be very good job opportunities.
Thats what swayed me. That and a starter home for $75k.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
I personally know of three startup companies that began here in CoCS, but moved to Houston to be closer to the airport. While IAH is only about 90 to 120mins away (on a good day), it is still a hardship to get up at 4:00am to drive to IAH to catch the first flights out of town. Most of the time I book the airport hotel the night before.
The jist of it is that BCS will never have transportation opportunities that are equivalent to DFW/IAH or even Austin. That, IMHO, is the limitation of a national business taking up residency here.
People always want what they don't have it seems. People that are raised rural, seem to pine for the city life, and those raised in a large city seem to want space and fresh air, only for both of those groups to run home later in life. Most of my friends are from BCS and left in their early 20's just to return later and settle down where they were raised.
Of course there are exceptions. My own personal experience is raised in metro LA with 7 million of my closest friends, moved here in 92 and you couldn't melt and pour me back in Los Angeles.
Of course there are exceptions. My own personal experience is raised in metro LA with 7 million of my closest friends, moved here in 92 and you couldn't melt and pour me back in Los Angeles.
Regarding recruiting more out-of-state businesses, I see this as more a community effort than a CS specific one. (A&M and Bryan are lockstep on this, CS is clearly not, even though I know you are, Bob)
doubledog said:Bob Yancy said:Costa and Andreas said:
I will chime in on this from experience with my transient staff. I don't have hard data, but I do hear the majority of them say "I can't wait to graduate and get out of here".
I'm sure there's many different reasons they could be saying that, but it does speak to a common desire from youth to explore what else is out there. Of course, many are Houstonians who just simply want to go home to the big city they are used to.
That said, it seems to me that the only thing that would sway them would be very good job opportunities.
Thats what swayed me. That and a starter home for $75k.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
I personally know of three startup companies that began here in CoCS, but moved to Houston to be closer to the airport. While IAH is only about 90 to 120mins away (on a good day), it is still a hardship to get up at 4:00am to drive to IAH to catch the first flights out of town. Most of the time I book the airport hotel the night before.
The jist of it is that BCS will never have transportation opportunities that are equivalent to DFW/IAH or even Austin. That, IMHO, is the limitation of a national business taking up residency here.
I don't want us to be Dallas or Austin- but I do want us to be THE premier university town in the United States, with ample housing and jobs (via economic development and natural private sector growth) as well as a premier entertainment destination for singles and families alike.
I believe we can achieve these things by embracing a new strategy among policy makers that spans multiple council cycles.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
BCS-Ag said:
Regarding recruiting more out-of-state businesses, I see this as more a community effort than a CS specific one. (A&M and Bryan are lockstep on this, CS is clearly not, even though I know you are, Bob)
I'd be fibbing if I didn't admit it feels that way.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
EliteElectric said:
People always want what they don't have it seems. People that are raised rural, seem to pine for the city life, and those raised in a large city seem to want space and fresh air, only for both of those groups to run home later in life. Most of my friends are from BCS and left in their early 20's just to return later and settle down where they were raised.
Of course there are exceptions. My own personal experience is raised in metro LA with 7 million of my closest friends, moved here in 92 and you couldn't melt and pour me back in Los Angeles.
Here here! Except I was in Houston.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
When I came "back home" in 2009 I was shocked out housing prices here. We were in Missouri City / Sugarland in a master planned community that had amenities no neighborhood has in BCS, even today. 36 holes of golf, a legit water park, tennis courts, sports fields for resident pools, etc. We had sold our house there and when were looking here, the only thing in the same price range and even pushing 100k more were 1980's homes that had not been remodeled and damn sure were not on 2/3 acre lots etc. Even now, very few guys I work with that are employed by CS LIVE in CS. They cannot afford to. Robertson County, Burleson County etc are where many guys live. A dear friend of mine from Baton Rogue (works for Exxon) always asks "what do people do here for a job?"
They either:
1. Own a business
2. Doctor / Lawyer / Professor
3. Work remotely (I fall into this category)
4. Spend all their money on housing and have very little disposable income.
5. Independently wealthy
That's the scenarios I can think off off the top of my head.
1. Own a business
2. Doctor / Lawyer / Professor
3. Work remotely (I fall into this category)
4. Spend all their money on housing and have very little disposable income.
5. Independently wealthy
That's the scenarios I can think off off the top of my head.
The guys I've talked to who owned their own companies, they had wealthy parents who helped them get started. And wealthy parents who help kids buy $400K homes.
WTM said:
When I came "back home" in 2009 I was shocked out housing prices here. We were in Missouri City / Sugarland in a master planned community that had amenities no neighborhood has in BCS, even today. 36 holes of golf, a legit water park, tennis courts, sports fields for resident pools, etc. We had sold our house there and when were looking here, the only thing in the same price range and even pushing 100k more were 1980's homes that had not been remodeled and damn sure were not on 2/3 acre lots etc. Even now, very few guys I work with that are employed by CS LIVE in CS. They cannot afford to. Robertson County, Burleson County etc are where many guys live. A dear friend of mine from Baton Rogue (works for Exxon) always asks "what do people do here for a job?"
Did you live in Quail Valley?
Quail Valley was "on the decline" by then. I was in Sie na Plantation (now just Sienna).
doubledog said:Quote:
Entertainment & Tourism. Been doing well. Make it the norm. More high profile concerts. More family entertainment. Better use of HOT tax to make it happen.
Having reviewed the HOT expenses, I for one, will agree.
Yep, it appears from the list posted that much of the HOT taxes are paid out to businesses to help their bottom line rather than attract visitors?
Do all these hundreds of businesses need the money given? Does all the travel need to be taken?
Do large businesses such as Santa's Wonderland still need to receive large amounts of HOT tax monies? Does TAMU with it's 5 BILLION $ budget need HOT money?
The HOT tax receipts for 2025 were over 3 million $. Maybe it would be good to a million dollars of the money each year to invest in developing additional attractions to bring more visitors to our city?
Putting a million $ a year into additional Midtown development such as an indoor/outdoor waterpark such as the much smaller town of Brenham has would give visitors, especially those with children, another option while in the city. It would also give local taxpayers an indoor pool to use year around,
Lease Reed arena a few times in the summer for concerts?
I am sure we can list other great options to drawn visitors here.
woodiewood1 said:doubledog said:Quote:
Entertainment & Tourism. Been doing well. Make it the norm. More high profile concerts. More family entertainment. Better use of HOT tax to make it happen.
Having reviewed the HOT expenses, I for one, will agree.
Yep, it appears from the list posted that much of the HOT taxes are paid out to businesses to help their bottom line rather than attract visitors?
Do all these hundreds of businesses need the money given? Does all the travel need to be taken?
Do large businesses such as Santa's Wonderland still need to receive large amounts of HOT tax monies? Does TAMU with it's 5 BILLION $ budget need HOT money?
The HOT tax receipts for 2025 were over 3 million $. Maybe it would be good to a million dollars of the money each year to invest in developing additional attractions to bring more visitors to our city?
Putting a million $ a year into additional Midtown development such as an indoor/outdoor waterpark such as the much smaller town of Brenham has would give visitors, especially those with children, another option while in the city. It would also give local taxpayers an indoor pool to use year around,
Lease Reed arena a few times in the summer for concerts?
I am sure we can list other great options to drawn visitors here.
I think it's fair to say we've been doing a lot better on this, with more on the way. We have exciting plans for Wolf Pen, more collaborations with Tamu facilities, specialty sports entertainment like Banana Ball, some exciting possibilities in Northgate and more. I must objectively say we have improved in tourism and entertainment in the "quality of life" category. And- a ton of these things would start happening organically via private sector initiatives if we had our feet under us from a housing and employment perspective.
We're right there, folks. So close. The sky's the limit. Who are we going to be? "Don't build it and they won't come" does NOT work. Austin adopted that failed strategy and they were decades digging out of a wrecked housing market.
We could and should be THE premier university community in the United States. For housing affordability. For employment. For quality of life. For entertainment. For public safety. For education. For transportation and mobility. For family friendly neighborhoods.
The sky's the limit. We should be collaborating and planning and breaking the huddle in unison to go win the day, every day.
The staid, slow, inefficient silos of the past need to give way to a new era of prosperity for all of us.
The sky's the limit.
My $.02
Yancy out. Lots of appointments today. Y'all be safe out there.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
Hornbeck said:
I think that folks *say* a whole lot about bringing in new tech firms.
I have yet to see a concerted effort to actually bring them in.
When CoB landed Decision One they touted it as great jobs. However, the proof is in the pudding and it was a call center. See also ViaSat, who is getting killed by Starlink, and did not live up to their employment commitments.
The only real recent "winner" is Fujifilm. In my mind, that's more "biotech" and less "tech". This further illustrates Bob Yancy's contention that we are a "consumer" based economy.
I'm of the opinion that we won't get tech companies to come to CS with the same guys that worked on the Macy's deal in the Economic Development office. My opinion.
The Econ Dev team also gave us the Data Center deal, and pushed the Northgate Debacle (No public input along the way? Really?) I'll give the city credit for both Costco and Murdoch's, but even with those two great additions our sales tax revenue is barely keeping up with inflation. Fortunately (for some) city spending is FAR outpacing inflation.