HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Houston Texans are planning a sweeping new 83-acre mixed-use development in northwest Harris County, and for many residents, the big questions are: What does this mean for my taxes? And how will it impact my neighborhood?
County leaders say the project, known as the Toro District, is designed not only to anchor the team’s new headquarters and practice facility, but also to bring long-needed infrastructure and services closer to rapidly growing communities like Bridgeland and Cypress.
New headquarters coming to Bridgeland
The Texans’ new headquarters and practice facility will be located in the Bridgeland area of northwest Harris County — one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
Commissioners say the timing is intentional. With explosive population growth in Cypress and surrounding neighborhoods, leaders want to build infrastructure now to avoid future traffic congestion and drainage challenges later.
Plans for the development include:
- Two new bridges
- Expanded roadways
- Drainage improvements
- Sidewalks and parks
- A shopping center
- Additional sports training facilities
The project will also feature a “county services hub,” allowing residents to handle vehicle titles, tax payments, and marriage licenses locally instead of driving downtown.
A public-private partnership
County leaders describe the Toro District as a public-private partnership expected to generate major economic impact.
Officials project:
- More than 17,000 jobs
- Positions paying at least the county minimum wage of $21.65 per hour
- Billions of dollars in long-term economic activity
But commissioners say the most important detail for residents is how the project is funded.
How the tax funding works
The county plans to use a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), sometimes referred to by officials as a TURS.
Under a TIRZ structure as property values rise in the development area, the increase in tax revenue stays within that zone. Those funds are reinvested into local infrastructure improvements such as roads, bridges, drainage, sidewalks, and parks.
When asked about the potential impact on homeowners’ taxes, Commissioner Lesley Briones said rising property values are likely as the area continues to grow, but emphasized that tax dollars would be directed toward infrastructure needs.
“The good news is people’s property values, as this area continues to grow, will go up. But in terms of what people’s tax dollars will be going to, it’s all infrastructure,” Briones said. “In one of the fastest growing areas of the country, we need to make sure that our infrastructure is keeping pace with this explosive growth.”
Commissioner Tom Ramsey stressed that the reinvestment model keeps funding localized.
“There’s a TURS being set up, which means as this area grows and develops, those tax increments — those dollars — will stay here. And so we’re not asking the people in East Harris County to pay for something in west or northwest Harris County," he said.
In short, future tax growth generated within the district would fund improvements within that same area, rather than shifting the cost to other parts of the county.
What happens next?
Commissioners say construction will roll out in phases over the next three years.
For residents in northwest Harris County, the project represents both opportunity and uncertainty, bringing jobs, services, and development closer to home, while raising important conversations about property values, taxes, and long-term growth management.
As planning moves forward, county leaders say their focus is clear: build infrastructure early, before growth outpaces capacity.