‘The secret is out’

Realtors help people realize their dream of owning a home, and Thursday, July 22 over 50 people attending the Navasota Grimes County Chamber of Commerce Realtor’s Breakfast at the Navasota Center learned what makes the Grimes County area attractive to potential homeowners

There were presentations from the city of Navasota Economic Development, Navasota Independent School District, city of Todd Mission and TxDOT.

City of Navasota

City of Navasota Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Specialist Rayna Willenbrink shared Navasota EDC’s mission, “The City’s mission is to guide Navasota’s growth in a way that maintains our heritage, culture and uniqueness by maximizing our economic and social development. The vision is what America wants to be – a beautiful progressive, vibrant, service-oriented community close-knit community filled with historical charm for people and business.”

Navasota is a growing community and more growth is expected. Willenbrink stated from years 2000 to 2010, population increased 4.5%. Although final numbers aren’t out for the current census, preliminary numbers depict an approximate 22% increase from 2010 raising the population to approximately 8,656. The average age of the population is 34 with the average age of males in Navasota 28.2 and females 36.7.

Willenbrink spoke about the preservation of downtown buildings and the ongoing projects which include renovations on Railroad Street.

She also spoke about various community events hosted by The City that enhance the quality of life including the Texas Birthday Bash and monthly Farmer’s Markets. “In addition to the planned events, we also have many opportunities for fun and recreation throughout the town on a regular basis,” explained Willenbrink. “The Navasota Public Library offers many school and summer programs for families. And the city is also undergoing a parks and trails plan to upgrade the system that is currently in place.”

City of Navasota Developmental Services Director Lupe Diosdado also spoke about the growth. “Our tale of success has been our residential growth,” Diosdado said. “It has been significant compared to previous years.”

Diosdado said the upward trend began in 2017. In 2017 Navasota had 45 new homes for the year. “For Navasota at that time we were really excited, explained Diosdado. “Since then we have had an average of 100 homes per year. It has been good to see that growth.”

In 2020 there were $32 million in total investments and Diosdado said they are approximately at that halfway mark in 2021.

He also spoke about infrastructure and the $10 million bond project to make water, street, sewer and drainage improvements. “We’re not only focusing on new projects coming in and growing the city, we are also taking care of our residents that are here,” said Diosdado. There was also a $2 million Community Development Block Grant used to upgrade drainage from a 36-inch storm pipe to a 7-foot by 7-foot box culvert on Railroad Street.

Navasota ISD

Navasota ISD Superintendent Stu Musick spoke about the great schools in the district. “We have all the big school opportunities that larger schools and cities have,” explained Musick. “It is a big school opportunity with hometown atmosphere and feel. To us that is a win-win.”

Navasota High School offers all five of the state graduation endorsement options: Business and Industry; Public and Health Services; Arts and Humanities; Multi-Disciplinary; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Musick also shared NHS is a collegiate high school where students can take college courses for free with partnerships from Blinn College and the University of Texas. He said it is a tough path, but students can graduate from high school with a college associates degree by earning up to 60 hours of college credit.

NISD has undergone renovations partly through a $55 million bond project that had a 70% approval rating in 2017. The bond renovated many schools throughout the district and included a new Career and Technology Education wing that includes a cosmetology class with salon, automotive tech class with mechanic shop, audio video classrooms with a studio and a lot more. Musick explained that students can earn certifications in many fields including welding, nursing, automotive mechanics, culinary arts etc.

A new aviation engineering program will even allow for students to construct an operable airplane, with the program slated to begin in 2022.

Todd Mission

City of Todd Mission Manager Neal Wendele was hired specifically to plan for growth, large in part due to State Highway 249 tollway that will ease travel and decrease travel time to Houston. “We are just a short skip to Houston and College Station,” explained Wendele. The commute to Grand Parkway is 22 minutes and 32 minutes to Beltway 8 from Todd Mission.

Todd Mission is home to the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF), which has been going on for 47 years. Festival campgrounds have opened to the public year-round hosting concerts, festivals, weddings etc. Wendele said TRF is home to 400 businesses and has over half a million visitors each year.

“Todd Mission has gone from this little group of people in the woods having a good time, living a medieval fantasy life, to a vibrant growing community,” said Wendele.

TxDOT

TxDOT Bryan District Planning Engineer Juan Quiroz shared five projects for roadways. The Bryan District covers 10 counties including Grimes.

The four roadways he spoke on were SH 249, SH 105, SH 6 and US 190. SH 249 covers approximately 12 miles in Grimes County from the Grimes County line in Todd Mission to SH 105. The estimated construction cost is $243 million. The project is projected to be completed in 2023.

Learn more about the various projects at www.txdot.gov.

The secret is out

Jenny Fultz from Navasota Abstract closed with revealing the secret is out. “It sounds like the secret is out,” she said. “All the things we’ve known and loved about our community have become quite the draw to other people, so it is an exciting time for us in Grimes County.”