SUGAR LAND, Texas — A big part of Sugar Land’s past is at the center of a project just getting off the ground.
"This was our start,” said Sugar Land Deputy Director of Economic Development Devon Rodriguez.
The city recently started discussing with the community a potential plan to redevelop parts of the former Imperial Sugar Company, the city’s namesake.
"We want it to have new life, we want it to have a new use in our community to kind of have that re-birth as part of the site," said Rodriguez.
Office, residential, retail and even experimental spaces are part of the preliminary vision which will include historic preservation.
At the center of the site is the 1925 brick building known as the char house.
It’s about 10 stories tall and where we're told sugar cane was burned as part of the refining process.
It was built after various sugar cane plantations merged to form Imperial Sugar.
A “company town” sprung up around it and included homes for refinery workers.
The char house and other operations closed in the early 2000s.
"We have done some structural assessments in the building and it is actually in fairly good condition and is a good candidate for adaptive reuse," said Rodriguez. "So we’re very excited about that possible opportunity.”
Rodriguez said Houston-based PUMA Development entered a purchase agreement with the property owner.
Meanwhile, local, state and federal dollars, in addition to possible tax credits, may help sweeten the deal.