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Each month leading up to The Woodlands 50th Anniversary celebration, content is created to honor the past, present and future of our community. During July, The Woodlands Town Center and Public/Private Partnerships will be highlighted.

By Nick Wolda, President of Visit The Woodlands, & Lorrie Parise, Director, Public Relations & Community Relations for Howard Hughes

Meticulously planned, carefully orchestrated. The Woodlands Town Center spans 1,000 acres, featuring premier office spaces, retail shops, dining options, entertainment venues, hotels, healthcare and residences, all within an urban walkable environment. It’s remarkable to think that what we now take for granted – The Woodlands Town Center as a successful economic powerhouse for The Woodlands and Southeast Texas – began as a vision.

Today, commercial growth in the Town Center has contributed to sustaining a low tax rate for residents while preserving the exceptional quality of amenities that distinguish The Woodlands from many urban cores elsewhere. The Woodlands Town Center will keep evolving with world-class amenities, all within a pedestrian-friendly setting, to address the needs and desires of residents and visitors now and in the future. 

“The Woodlands Town Center is the heart of our community, serving as a basis of economic growth and social vitality, generating tax revenues from corporations that strengthen local infrastructure and foster a thriving community,” said Jim Carman, President, Houston Region for Howard Hughes. “Businesses, tourists, employees and residents continue to be attracted to the Town Center, underscoring its role as a dynamic hub of employment, world-class amenities, attractions and growth.”

Five decades ago, The Woodlands began with George P. Mitchell’s concept of creating a sustainable community nestled within a natural forest where residents could live, work, learn, pray and play. 

In 1972, Robert Heineman, former Vice President of Planning & Design at Howard Hughes, drew a napkin sketch of a “Metro Center,” centered around a regional shopping mall and The Woodlands Waterway. While commercial was a vital element to the Town Center, The Woodlands needed to expand its residential base to sustain future commercial growth and ensure a vibrant Town Center. The goal for The Woodlands was to be transformed into a job center for its residents, not just a bedroom community that supports businesses in Houston. 

Mitchell and his development team exemplified patience in unveiling the Town Center. By even hiring the internationally acclaimed architect, Frank Gehry, to contribute to the concept, they ensured that The Woodlands Town Center would stand as a testament to visionary planning and architectural  excellence. 

“Mitchell stayed true to his plan for The Woodlands Town Center. In fact, when Grogan’s Mill Village Center opened in 1974, some experts in the real estate industry had suggested that Mitchell place the first village center at the northwest corner of I-45, where The Woodlands Towers at The Waterway are now located,” said Heineman. “Mitchell showed great foresight and remained steadfast in his vision to save that land for a future Town Center.”

George Mitchell knew that The Woodlands would benefit from thinking of the future on things like sustainability and green space. (Howard Hughes photo)
George P. Mitchell reviews an early design of The Woodlands Town Center.

The Woodlands Town Center Milestones

The Woodlands Town Center’s journey is marked by several important dates, each representing a milestone in its development and growth. One of the most interesting facts about the development of the Town Center is that it really did not start in earnest until 20 years after the founding of The Woodlands in 1974. 

Two major events started development in the Town Center: the opening of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in 1990 and The Woodlands Mall in 1994. 

The Pavilion opened April 27-29, 1990, with three days of shows, in order: Houston Symphony, Frank Sinatra, and Alabama with Clink Black opening. Capacity was 10,000. After two renovations, the facility is now the #1 outdoor amphitheater in the world with a capacity of 16,500 for 75 shows a year.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell with original rendering of the pavilion for performing arts.
Frank Sinatra performed the opening weekend of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

The opening of The Woodlands Mall drew in excess of 50,000 people on October 19, 1994. This event took place some 12 years after the first sign was erected saying “The Woodlands Mall, Coming Soon.” Roger Galatas, former President of The Woodlands Corporation, now Howard Hughes, said in his book, The Inside Story of Creating a Better Hometown, that the sign was “in part, a defensive measure. There was a competing site for a mall about ten miles to the north. Had that one been built, the mall for The Woodlands would have been history.”

The Woodlands Mall Under Construction
The Woodlands Mall Grand Opening
The Woodlands Mall Grand Opening

Town Center Improvement District

One of the key developments of The Woodlands Town Center was the creation of Town Center Improvement District (TCID) by the Texas Legislature in 1993 in anticipation of The Woodlands Mall opening the following year, 1994. A group of business leaders served on the Board of Directors and hired its first employee, Frank W. Robinson, to lead TCID.

“As I look back on the early days of The Woodlands Town Center, I am struck by how much was accomplished and how true the organization has been all these years to its original mission of delivering the highest level of public benefit possible by promoting, encouraging, maintaining, and enhancing health, safety, welfare, recreation, tourism, and economic development,” said Robinson. 

Robinson listed some of the most significant accomplishments including the establishment of a superior public safety program, launching regional economic development activities including The Woodlands Economic Development Partnership and creating initiatives for economic development districts. These districts leveraged sales tax and hotel tax revenue to develop unique retail, dining, and entertainment experiences, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, Market Street, Town Green Park, Waterway Square, The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau and initiating highly successful tourism campaigns, adding millions of dollars to the local economy.

Robinson credits former president of The Woodlands Corporation, Michael Richmond, in his vision of developing a robust Town Center, adding a familiar comment Richmond used to say, “You cannot appreciate what you have not experienced.”

The Woodlands Town Center stands as a testament to visionary planning and strategic development. Its diverse mix of amenities, cultural attractions, and economic initiatives have collectively contributed to its status as a robust economic hub, enhancing the quality of life for its residents and driving economic growth in the region. 

“We continue to explore new growth opportunities for The Woodlands Town Center, which continuously evolves, maintaining relevance while embracing adaptability, ensuring it flourishes where others have faltered,” stated Carman.  

The Woodlands Town Center Timeline

  • 1972: Sketch of The Woodlands Town Center and The Woodlands Waterway. 
  • 1990: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion opens, founded by George Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia Woods Mitchell, in the now Town Center.
  • 1993: The Woodlands Town Center is announced.
  • 1993: Creation of The Town Center Improvement District (TCID) as a local government to address enhanced public safety, economic development and capital projects, formed by the Texas Legislature.
  • 1994: The Woodlands Mall opens and prompts the beginning of development for the Town Center.
  • 1999: Construction begins on The Woodlands Waterway.
  • 2002: The Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel & Convention Center opens.
  • 2003: First urban residences, The Woodlands Waterway Lofts opens. 
  • 2004: Grand opening for the outdoor expansion of The Woodlands Mall at The Woodlands Waterway.
  • 2004: Opening of Market Street.
  • 2005: First homes available for sale in East Shore, the ”Garden District” of The Woodlands Town Center.
  • 2006: The Woodlands Town Green Park opens.
  • 2006: Creation of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau.
  • 2009: Waterway Square opens.
  • 2009: The Woodlands Waterway extension to  The Woodlands Mall opens.
  • 2009: Riva Row Park & Boat House and Koi Garden  open on The Woodlands Waterway.
  • 2013: Howard Hughes officially opens Hughes Landing.
  • 2015: Waterway Square Bridge along The Woodlands Waterway is installed. 
  • 2019: Howard Hughes acquires twin towers from Occidental Petroleum at the entrance of The Woodlands. The iconic towers are rebranded as The Woodlands Towers at The Waterway.
  • 2022: Howard Hughes commissions internationally recognized artist Alex Katz to create a 35,000-square-foot mural, Flowers, for a new 2.3-acre outdoor community gathering space in Waterway Square. Flowers debuts as one of the largest art murals in Texas. 
  • 2022: Kirby Ice House, featuring the largest bar in Texas at 141 feet, opens in The Woodlands Town Center.
  • 2023: Transfer of The Woodlands Waterway ownership from Howard Hughes to The Woodlands Township.
  • 2023: Howard Hughes unveils Shoal, featuring 750 individual orbs of light suspended in air and programmed to seamlessly flow in mesmerizing movement to sound, in Hughes Landing. 

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Many thanks to The Woodlands 50th Anniversary Sponsors:

FOUNDING – Howard Hughes

PRODUCER – The Woodlands Township

LEGACY – Woodforest National Bank

HERITAGE – Waste Connections Inc.

GOLD – Entergy Texas, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital

SILVER – SVN/JBeard Real Estate, The John Cooper School