Editor’s note: This story was a sidebar in Houstonia’s Summer 2024 cover package, “Welcome to Boomtown.”

Perched on a sprawling corner of the historic Fifth Ward, the East River development looms as a symbol of both promise and peril. Created by Houston-based firm Midway, this project covers 150 acres from the edge of downtown and stretching along Buffalo Bayou. It’s an ambitious vision: a mixed-use development that could breathe new life into the neighborhood.

Midway’s vision for East River includes expansive green spaces, bike trails, and a range of retail and dining options. The first phase, now complete, features a new apartment complex, the Laura, with 359 units, 250,000 square feet of office space, and 110,000 square feet of retail. On paper, it’s an attractive development that could boost a part of Houston that’s seen decades of disinvestment. But for many longtime residents, the project feels like a force that could reshape their community, and not necessarily for the better. New development often comes with a price: the risk of displacing those who have called the area home for generations.

The Circle Coalition, a group of Fifth Ward residents, small business owners, and activists, is determined to ensure that East River doesn’t leave the community behind. The group is not opposed to the development itself, but rather its potential consequences. The coalition is challenging Midway and city officials to prioritize affordable housing, job opportunities, and community involvement in the planning process. Both Midway and Circle Coalition declined to be interviewed for this story.

The coalition’s most significant point of contention lies with the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that accompanies the East River project. The demand is simple: make the CBA more robust, with clearly defined outcomes that will positively impact Fifth Ward residents. The group is also pushing for a significant increase in affordable units, guaranteed tenant protections, and a clear path toward homeownership opportunities.

As East River moves forward, the eyes of Houston are watching closely. Will this development become a blueprint for inclusive growth, where progress doesn’t come at the expense of the existing community? Or will it be another chapter in the story of gentrification, where the cultural fabric of a neighborhood is unraveled by the forces of change? Only time will tell.