Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce leading effort to rebrand area

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Northwest Medical Center is in a growing part of Harris County just off FM 1960 near the North Freeway.

"We're here to serve the community," says the hospital's chief operating officer, Juan Fresquez.

He loves this unincorporated part of Harris County, but he characterizes it, from an economic perspective, as diamond in the rough.

"We need to take ownership of our community. There are many businesses, like the hospital, that depend on community support," he said.

That's why he's part of an effort to rebrand the area called Grow Northwest. It's a privately funded push for positive change led by the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.

Barbara Thomas is the chamber's president.

"It's not so much that there are tremendous problems. It's that we want to want to be able to keep up with the herd. And so that's why we've taken the lead in this effort," she said.

The four-year plan has three major goals: reducing crime by 10 percent, recruiting new non-retail businesses, and marketing the area with a new "Cypress Creek Communities" branding, adding signing throughout the region.

"It creates opportunity for businesses to grow," explains real estate broker Enrique Lima. "The tax base strengthens and infrastructure develops to maintain that cycle."

Adrian Cadena is another resident of the area. He works at Frost Bank and is anxious to see the results of the privately funded $3 million effort, paid for with donations.

"I feel like it's a special place," he says, "and we want to get the word out and let other people know what makes it so great."