HOUSTON â After all the talk about what the Toro District could become, the bigger question is simple: who pays for what?
Right now, Harris County is committing $150 million in public money, but the commissioners say that money is going toward infrastructure.
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Commissioner Tom Ramsey tells us that includes things like bridges, drainage, and roads needed to support the development.
When you deal with those on the front end any kind of major development, it helps everybody because weâre going to do the infrastructure," Ramsey said. âThat is our statutory responsibility is to do infrastructure.â
The private side is separate.
The Houston Texans and Howard Hughes Holdings are expected to build the practice facility and surroundings attractions. The build would essentially create a new city center.
But when asked whether that $150 million price tag could grow, Ramsey didnât give a clear answer.
RELATED: Houston Texans plan massive 83-acre âToro Districtâ development in northwest Harris County
âWeâre still working through those details and Iâm not going to start throwing numbers out in terms of what could be,â she said.
The funding plan is tied to future tax grown through a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ. The idea is that as the TORO District grows and generates more tax revenue, that new revenue is what pays for the infrastructure investment over time.
If that revenue isnât available yet, the country may look at bonds to cover costs upfront.
So hereâs where things stand. Harris County is paying for infrastructure, not the development itself.
Whatâs still unclear is how high the public cost surrounding infrastructure could ultimately go.