Texas State Senator Borris Miles speaks during a meeting with residents of Riverside Terrace in Third Ward as they denounced the proposed Riverside Terrace Historic District at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, May 12, 2022 in Houston. Opponents to the Riverside Terrace historic district said it would force out families who have been in the area for generations.
In a city with virtually no official zoning, the ability for residents to create a historic district in their neighborhood is supposed to be a key tool Houstonians can use to preserve the character of a place. But in the case of one historically Black community in Houstonโs Third Ward, called Riverside Terrace, residents were convinced a proposed historic district would actually lead to more unwanted change โ gentrification โ not less of it.
The controversy earlier this year over the proposed historic district roiled the usually quiet Third Ward neighborhood. It prompted widespread opposition among residents โ most of them Black, many of them with deep roots in Riverside Terrace โ who said the proposed historic district isnโt necessary and would drive up expenses and property values. They feared the move could price out longtime residents.
