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Planning | Imperial Char House Project

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1. Now that City Council has passed the Land Use Plan amendment, what are the next steps?

We are now at Step 1 of redevelopment. This does not mean construction will begin, but PUMA now has the ability to concretely seek and secure private funding needed to aid in the preservation and redevelopment of the Imperial Char House and the Imperial Historic District, as well as move forward with land purchase agreements. The developer and the City can now also begin discussions detailing out development plans for Phase 1 of the project, which allows them to begin on more technical studies like traffic, drainage, and school impact. Many approvals are still necessary before construction on the site is feasible. 

2. Does this vote mean that the Land Use Plan can change at any time?

City Council has always had the authority to make changes to the Land Use Plan, but any modifications must go through a similar public process as the one we just went through with the Imperial site. As a reminder, the Land Use Plan is not a regulatory document, but rather a guide that should be read and understood holistically. It is important to look at the intent of the Plan as a whole and not as a mandate. The Land Use Plan articulates that periodic changes may be necessary in order to respond to the demographic shifts and market trends in the area. Bottom line, any changes made to the Land Use Plan require City Council approval through a public process.

3. Where are we in the process of getting historic tax credit for the site?

PUMA Development and the City have contracted with Urbano Architects to advise in the historic tax credit process. Historic tax preservation works in three phases that are reviewed and approved by the Texas Historical Commission and the National Park Service. The City is currently in Phase 1 where it’s application is being reviewed and approved, with expected approval in the spring. The proposed work will aim to preserve and retain the historic character of the Char House and will follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The team’s ultimate goal is to give the Char House a new use with minimal changes to its distinctive materials, features, spaces and spatial relationships. Additionally, the Imperial Sugar Company Refinery Historic District has been acknowledged on the National Registry of Historic Places since 2017.

4. What does approval of the General Development Plan mean?

Approval of the General Development Plan provides a framework of development regulations and land uses, including multi-family, that can be requested in future applications. Future zoning applications will require traffic studies, school impact studies, infrastructure analysis etc. and provide opportunities for the public to provide feedback, including public hearings at Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council.  

5. Is this a city-led project?

This project is a joint effort between the City and PUMA Development for two main reasons 1) redevelopment of the former Imperial Sugar site is one of the City Council’s top priorities and 2) due to the complexities of this site any development that meets this vision will require financial support to be successful.

6. Why has the City provided financial support for this project?

Redevelopment of the former Imperial Sugar site is one of City Council’s top priorities as it is extremely important to our residents and at the center of preserving the city’s heritage. Projects like this are expensive and complex. The City and developer will be maximizing the use of a variety of financial tools, including the Sugar Land Development Corporation, funded by a quarter cent sales tax restricted for economic development purposes, state historical tax credits, General Fund, and private financing to meet the vision for the site. To date the following has been approved:

• A $5 million reimbursement agreement for pre-construction and construction costs of the Char House
• A lease agreement for a portion of the redeveloped Char House (when completed) to assist PUMA in securing private financing for the remainder of the project.

7. Why is this redevelopment happening now?

The City has tried for many years to secure a private partner and financially viable project for this site.  PUMA’s proposed project is centered on redeveloping the Char House first, which is critically important to the City.

8. How will development of this project impact traffic in the area?

Multiple traffic studies have been conducted throughout the Imperial area and for the formerly proposed “Imperial Market” project. An updated Traffic Impact Analysis study will be required as part of this development as is typical with all development projects in the city. That updated traffic study is currently underway and will be considered as part of future approvals for the project.

All TIA's are reviewed by city traffic and engineering staff and help us identify the effect of the proposed development on the City's transportation services including capacity, level of services, and safety.   A Traffic Impact Analysis evaluates and determines what, if any, necessary traffic improvements are warranted and the developer’s share of the improvement costs.

9. Who will be leasing the new proposed, multi-family units?

The units will be luxury and anticipated to attract single and/or dual income empty-nesters and young professionals, likely without children.

10. How will the Children’s Discovery Center & Sugar Land Heritage Museum be impacted by this redevelopment?

The Sugar Land Heritage Museum and the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center are aware of the details of this project and are being updated as it progresses. Both the Heritage Museum and the Children’s Discovery Center were originally placed in that location as part of the previously proposed project, Imperial Market. Both projects need people within proximity to thrive and be successful long-term so both would benefit from being in a mixed-use, walkable development.

11. Can the Char House be preserved without the other parts of the proposed project being developed?

The developer has been clear on the number of multifamily units needed to ensure financial viability and sustainability of the project. If the developer does not receive approval for the land uses, including multifamily, and density needed then the project will not move forward. Redevelopment is complex and this site is especially challenging for development and will require tradeoffs.

12. What is the project?

To start, the developer is proposing redevelopment of the Imperial Char House into an office building with associated food, beverage and retail.  It is proposed that a portion of the Char House will house The Cannon, an innovation space which provides numerous workspace options, programming, content, events, with access to sponsors, mentors, accelerators, incubators, and venture capital.  The remainder of the 40-acre proposed project, which includes all currently existing historical structures, is a mixed-use walkable area including retail, food and beverage, office, event space, residential (including multi-family), with extensive outdoor green space.  The top priority of the project is preservation of historic buildings as well as an emphasis on creating a vibrant, energetic destination for the community.

For more information on the inspiration project, please watch the video from the Town Halls here: https://sugar-scoop.com/2022/12/19/couldnt-make-it-to-the-imperial-char-house-town-hall-watch-both-sessions-here/

13. What will happen with the Char House?

Preservation of the Imperial Char House is of the utmost importance to us as a City. This entire site is too important to our City’s history – it’s a detriment to our City’s future to not act now. Our goal for the Char House is to cement its place in history as not only a Sugar Land historical landmark, but as a Texas Historical Landmark. The developer understands the importance and significance of The Char House, therefore Phase 1 of the project will focus on the preservation and reuse of the building.

14. Why are apartments needed?

Over the years, the community has expressed a desire for more housing options to accommodate a variety of lifestyles and people at different life stages. This denser type of development also has other benefits, such as creating desirable workplaces for new, expanded and existing businesses, pathways to homeownership, public infrastructure improvements and quality of place amenities. This also helps maintain Sugar Land’s high level of services and amenities while sustaining one of the state’s lowest tax rates. 

To create a vibrant and successful mixed-use project, multi-family units – like apartments – are necessary. Ultimately, we want this to be a financially successful and sustainable development that will benefit our community for years to come.

15. I don’t want apartments in Sugar Land. What other types of housing will be allowed with this redevelopment plan?

Additional housing options that will be considered include, but not limited to, townhomes, urban homes, and duplexes. These new types of housing are an essential first step to providing new pathways to homeownership and drive demand for existing and new dining, retail, amenities, and attractions. These other housing options will be considered in addition to mixed-use, multi-family units – like apartments – that are necessary for the financial success of this program. Ultimately, we want this to be a financially successful and sustainable development that will benefit our community for years to come. The proposed apartments are NOT Section 8 housing.  

The developer has stated the target market of the proposed apartments are single and/or dual income empty-nesters and young professionals, likely without children.

16. Does the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council have the authority to amend the Land Use Plan?

Yes. It’s important to understand that the Land Use Plan is not a series of regulations, but rather a guiding document that should be read and understood holistically. To this end, it is important to look at the intent of the Plan as a whole and not as a mandate. Additionally, the Plan articulates that periodic changes may be necessary in order to respond to demographic shifts and market trends:

“The overall intent of the Plan is as important as the individual words. The different goals and action items are complementary and supportive of the overall vision. In many cases, different recommendations intertwine to create a livable city. For example, the land uses proposed here only make sense if the public spaces and transportation measures also proposed are implemented with them. Thus, no individual recommendation can be isolated from the rest of the Plan recommendations without understanding the broader context. In the event an exceptional development proposal is submitted that meets the overall spirit and intent of the Plan, but deviates from the specific detailed guidance established in the Plan, the Land Use Plan should be reviewed and any changes should include public input and review by Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council (Land Use Plan pg. 10).”

17. Where are we in the development process?

We are at Step 0, meaning we are in the beginning stages of the project. Many steps still need to take place before construction begins on this project. PUMA has a purchase agreement for approximately 40 acres of land in and around the former Imperial Sugar site, including the Char House.  PUMA does not yet own the property.  The following items will need to be completed before PUMA decides to move forward with their project:

1. Financial support – a reimbursement agreement for pre-development and construction costs of the Char House has been approved and a lease agreement for future office space in the Char House.  These items will help PUMA secure other financing for the Char House redevelopment.
2. Amendment to the Land Use Plan to increase # of multi-family units to 1,200 in the 201-acre Imperial Regional Activity Center.
3. Approved General Development Plan – a general land use plan including preservation of historic buildings, and list of proposed land uses, including 660 multi-family. 

A Public Hearing on the amendment to the Land Use Plan and General Development Plan was held by the Planning & Zoning Commission on February 14, 2023 meeting.  In a 4-4 vote, the Commission provided a recommendation of denial to the City Council.

On February 21, 2023, the City Council held a Public Hearing and first reading of the ordinance to amend the Land Use Plan and approve the General Development Plan for the project.  The City Council voted 5-1 in favor of the ordinance.  A second reading of the ordinance will be held on March 7, 2023.

18. Why is an amendment to the Land Use Plan that increases the number of multi-family units within this development necessary?

The increased number of multi-family units is necessary to make the project financially feasible. Previous plans, which included fewer multi-family units, were not financially feasible and therefore did not come to fruition.

The units will be luxury and anticipated to attract single and/or dual income empty-nesters and young professionals, likely without children. This development is within a much larger, 201-acre Regional Activity Center. See the map on our website for a more complete explanation, but here's the breakdown of the entire Regional Activity Center:

• Imperial Historic District (Proposed PUMA Project Area): A requested 660
• Imperial Lofts: 254 units
• Sueba Site: 274 units

Five Regional Activity Centers (RACs), including Imperial, were approved by City Council in the 2018 Land Use Plan as opportunities to create walkable areas that have a mix of several land uses, including office space, entertainment, retail, hotels, civic areas, and residential housing. RACs are important to Sugar Land's future growth, creating spaces that complement each other and a strong tax base to sustain the City’s high-quality services and amenities.

19. What’s to keep PUMA from buying the land, building apartments and then backing out of the Char House deal?

PUMA is the first developer who is willing to prioritize the preservation and enhancement of the Char House first before moving on to other aspects of the project. Therefore, the developer proposes to make the Char House improvements as Phase 1. The actual timing and sequencing of the remaining project phases will be controlled by the City Council through future zoning approvals.

20. Will any of the apartments in the Imperial development be Section 8 housing?

No.  These are market rate apartments. The developer has stated the target market of the proposed apartments are single and/or dual income empty-nesters and young professionals, likely without children.

21. What will the average cost of these apartments be?

Price range will vary based on square footage of the unit, plus amenities offered by the complex. The developer estimates a price of $2.25 to $3.35 per square foot per month depending on the size/quality of the unit and the type of complex. For example: a standard 1-bedroom unit of 800 square feet may be $1,800 to $2,600/month.

22. Will crime increase due to the addition of apartments in the area?

No. The Sugar Land Police Department analyzed police reports from 2019 to 2021 comparing multi-family and single-family housing in Sugar Land. When broken down by crime per housing unit, as well as multi-family housing vs single-family housing, there is no significant difference in crime. Additionally, Sugar Land has celebrated some of the lowest crime rates in our city’s history (both pre and post-COVID 19) after existing apartments were built in Sugar Land.

23. How will new apartments impact our schools? Will new apartments cause our schools to be overpopulated?

According to Fort Bend ISD, single-family houses generate more students for the school district than multi-family at a rate of 0.51 vs. 0.35 students per household. Data from Population and Survey Analysts (PASA), who is the demographer for Fort Bend ISD, states that newly built, market-rate multi-family properties typically have fewer students since rental rates are usually higher. Student to housing unit ratios are typically affected by several factors, including number of bedrooms per unit, age and class rating of the property, building style, campus attendance boundary, and rental price. A recent School Impact Analysis performed for a previous multi-family project showed that for a development largely consisting of studio and one-bedroom units, the ratio of students per occupied unit was far below the district average. 

 The target demographic of PUMA’s proposed developments is anticipated to attract single and/or dual income empty-nesters and young professionals, likely without children. A full school impact study will be done for this development once a more detailed plan has been defined. 

24. How has the public been engaged in this process?

In December 2022, The City announced its partnership with PUMA Development to propose the redevelopment of the Imperial Char House. This is the beginning of Step 0. The City made a conscious effort to engage with the community. Two town halls were hosted on December 8 and 15, 2022 to hear clear information straight from the developer regarding the project and to gain public input on the proposal.   You can watch both town halls here: https://sugar-scoop.com/2022/12/19/couldnt-make-it-to-the-imperial-char-house-town-hall-watch-both-sessions-here/

PUMA proposes to make the Char House improvements as part of its Phase 1 process, but the actual timing and sequencing of the project phases will be controlled by the City Council through  future zoning approvals. We recommend signing up for our email listserv to stay up-to-date on all the latest updates: www.sugarlandtx.gov/ImperialHistoricDistrict.

25. If all 660 units within the PUMA Development are built, will there be space left for a “mixed-use” development, including shops, restaurants, etc.?

Yes.

26. Will this project impact drainage in the area?

The Imperial Char House site has existing impervious areas (impervious area is any type of human-made surface that doesn’t absorb rainfall, like driveways, parking lots, sidewalks, etc.), which has been used as base conditions in drainage studies during the redevelopment of Imperial to allow for future development of the Char House site. Any impervious area that exceeds the existing base condition impervious coverage will require additional stormwater infrastructure to ensure water does not create an adverse impact up or downstream on Oyster Creek. Therefore, we do not have concerns area residents will experience flooding as a result of this development.