Josh Hawes, Executive Director, Spring Branch District

Invest: sat down with Josh Hawes, executive director of Spring Branch District, to discuss how the district is strengthening homegrown business growth, advancing catalytic public projects, and using partnerships and data to support long-term economic resilience. “We’re the heart of Houston, and we’re only growing stronger and better,” Hawes said.

What market changes have impacted how the district approaches development, and how are you planning to approach development and investment through 2026?

For us, it starts with growing our homegrown market. Over the past several years, we’ve seen residential growth, and the commercial side has grown with it. We already have a strong base of locally rooted businesses, and our focus is to retain them, help them expand, and still attract new businesses that fit the district.

A major shift has been leaning harder into data. We’ve started a new project where we’ll offer market analysis at no cost to property owners, business owners, and prospective operators looking at Spring Branch. The goal is to give people clearer insight into demand, gaps, and the right places to invest.

That work connects to our buy local effort. We can track where residents are shopping outside the district and what they’re buying, then use that information to strengthen existing businesses and recruit new ones that align with what people actually want. We’ve also moved our marketing almost entirely digital. Social media storytelling around businesses and development has delivered major growth in reach and engagement, and it’s helped reinforce Spring Branch’s identity.

From an investor and developer perspective, where do you see the strongest opportunities emerging within the district over the next few years?

Restaurateurs and retail. We have a central location, and nearby markets have gotten expensive. Montrose was hot, then the Heights, and as those areas priced people out, more residents and businesses shifted into our area. We’ve hit a sweet spot where property values are still relatively manageable, but the location is ideal. Being just outside the 610 Loop makes it easy for people inside the loop to come here, which supports destination dining and independent retail.

Spring Branch has positioned itself as a destination for locally owned businesses. How do you protect that advantage as the district becomes more visible and competitive?

We keep telling the story, especially through social media. We focus on the people who’ve invested here, opened here, and built success here, and we showcase what makes the district different. That visibility supports existing operators and draws in new ones with the right mindset. The message is: if you want to build something local and sustainable, Spring Branch is a place where you can do that, and we’ll help you.

What role do workforce availability and talent retention play in shaping the types of businesses and developments you want to attract?

It matters a lot because popularity can push prices up and squeeze out the workforce that businesses depend on. You have to balance growth with housing choices that keep the area livable for the people who work here.

That includes multifamily and other housing stock, and it means being intentional as the area changes. I hate using the word, but as the area gentrifies, you still have to make sure it doesn’t become a place that only works for one segment of the population. We keep that front and center, including through representation on our board, where we have apartment owners and a residential developer focused on affordable housing options for the workforce.

With major projects moving toward construction, what are your thoughts on sequencing large public investments to support long-term economic growth?

Partnerships. Everything we do, it can’t be done in a vacuum. With Hayden Park, we’re partnering with the city, Precinct 3, and an NGO called Parks Board. Parks Board is also a key partner on our trail system. We’ve completed two phases, and Phase 3, the middle segment, is still in design as we work through the last two pieces. For the segments outside our boundaries that will connect Addicks Reservoir to White Oak Bayou, we’re partnering with Commissioner Precinct 4, which is helping with design and build-out. Sequencing comes down to aligning partners, resources, and timing so we can keep progress moving.

Do you feel Houston does a particularly good job of encouraging different players to work together for the greater good?

Most certainly. Collaboration is part of the culture here. There are close to 40 management districts in the Houston area, and recently, a group of executive directors and directors of services met to compare notes on shared issues, partners, and what’s working. Those conversations help districts learn from each other, replicate effective partnerships, and solve problems faster, because so many of us are tackling similar challenges.

The district offers grants and loans to help with revitalization. How are those programs improving commercial properties and supporting business growth?

Over the past couple of years, we’ve invested close to $400,000 in business improvement grants, and that has translated into more than $3 million in reinvestment in construction within the district.

You see it on the ground, but you also see the momentum. When we invest in a project, the owner has to put up a sign recognizing the partnership with the district. We’ve seen that sign move down the street, because one improvement leads neighbors to pursue their own. It becomes contagious in the best way.

The district also supports community-led initiatives. How do those programs contribute to economic vitality beyond traditional brick-and-mortar investments?

We understand you can’t have healthy economic growth without a stable, healthy residential system growing alongside the commercial side.

One of the newest projects we approved supports kids’ meals through a nonprofit in the district. They provide free meals to children who need them, outside the school system. Keeping kids fed and healthy matters, because a kid going to school hungry is not going to learn. We also partner with the YMCA on summer programs, and we work with Memorial Assistance Ministries on initiatives like back-to-school support and workforce improvement training. Those efforts strengthen families, stability, and ultimately the district’s long-term economic vitality.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what strategic decisions made today will matter most for the district’s long-term economic resilience?

Market analysis and marketing the district as a whole. We want businesses here to understand the lay of the land, and we want prospective businesses to know whether this is the right choice for them.

We’ve learned, for example, that chains generally don’t do well here. People want the mom-and-pop place. We have a small Mexican restaurant that’s been open since the late 60s or early 70s, passed from the parents to their daughter, and that kind of authenticity is part of what residents value. So we want to recruit independent concepts that can thrive here, and we also want to protect the local businesses already in place.