Councilman Le pitches 'Little Saigon District,' but plans are more modest

City Councilman Steve Le on Wednesday said he will move forward in designating a 1.7-mile stretch of Bellaire Boulevard the "Little Saigon District" but described plans for the tourist zone more modest than initially envisioned.

In an afternoon news conference at City Hall, Lee, who represents Council District F in southwest Houston, said the designation will entail the posting of two directional signs on the Sam Houston Tollway and promotion of the district by the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

Le originally had described a plan that called for erecting a monument and a number of directional signs. The original plan carried a $68,000 price tag, which would have been covered by Le's office. The Vietnamese-American councilman did not specify the project's current cost.

The Little Saigon District would encompass Bellaire Boulevard from Turtlewood to Cook Road. Le also said it would promote businesses in "Chinatown," a stretch of Bellaire from Gessner Drive to the tollway.

Le said his plan would help make his district a dining and tourist destination similar to Asian and Italian neighborhoods in other American cities.

Visitors Bureau spokesman A.J. Mistretta said Le has spoken with bureau leadership about his plans for the district. At present, Mistretta said, the bureau is exploring prospects with organizations and individuals "to see what a district would look like."

Le said he would like to have the directional signs installed in time for the Super Bowl in February.

The councilman received mixed input from area residents in a series of community meetings on the project.