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PCD Advances Vision for Vibrant, Destination-Style Hub in Pearland

A recent feature in Community Impact reports that Pearland City Council unanimously approved rezoning for The Orchard at Lower Kirby, a 122-acre mixed-use development near Beltway 8 and Hwy. 288, designed to expand local dining, shopping, and entertainment options while drawing visitors from nearby suburbs. Proposed by Planned Community Developers, the project will include residential, commercial, and waterfront entertainment areas, along with a hotel and conference center, retail, restaurants, and a walkable community space. Leaders hope the development will capitalize on Pearland’s growth, especially its connection to the Texas Medical Center, and reduce reliance on destinations like Houston’s Galleria for major events. The conference center would be funded upfront by the developer, with city reimbursement tied to performance benchmarks. Officials raised concerns about excessive housing, resulting in a cap of 1,100 multifamily units and requirements to ensure commercial amenities are built alongside residential components.

The Orchard at Lower Kirby mixed-use development along Hwy. 288 in Pearland advances

The city of Pearland recently approved a rezoning request for a major mixed-use development near Hwy. 288 that city leaders hope will keep residents from going to other cities for major events, shopping and dining—while also attracting visitors from other Houston suburbs, such as Sugar Land and Katy.

About the project

Pearland City Council voted unanimously to approve a zoning change for the planned development, The Orchard at Lower Kirby, previously known as the Gateway to Pearland, at its March 16 meeting. The request was made by Sugar Land-based Planned Community Developers, according to city documents. The 122-acre mixed-use development would be located near the intersection of Beltway 8 and Hwy. 288, according to city documents. According to city documents, the mixed-use planned development would be divided into three districts:
  • High-density, single-family residential
  • Mixed-use commercial district
  • Waterfront entertainment mixed-use
The development will feature:
  • A hotel and conference center
  • Retail and restaurants, including fine dining
  • Multifamily and high-density single-family residential spaces
  • A walkable, family-friendly community gathering place
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approving the zoning change at its March 2 meeting.

How we got here

Planned Community Developers CEO Don Janssen said that over the decades, other developers have tried to build major commercial developments in this area and failed, such as the attempt to build a shopping center where only Bass Pro Shops now exists.

“The reason the other two developers failed has nothing to do with their capabilities, because they are both very good developers,” Janssen said. “It had to do with uncontrollable market conditions. Unfortunately, we’re going to experience those same ones in this.”

However, Janssen pointed to the area’s significant employment growth, especially spurred by expansions in the Texas Medical Center. Nearly 10% of Pearland’s 71,000 commuters are going to the Texas Medical Center, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

“Pearland is not the same place that it was in 2007,” Janssen said.

Diving in deeper

Janssen said the hotel and conference center are a critical component of the development, with the hopes that it will boost sales tax revenue and attract corporate headquarters and office users, similar to the Sugar Land Town Square.

The conference center could also be used to host large-scale events, tapping into business that the city has historically lost to venues like The Galleria in Houston.

To protect taxpayers, Janssen proposed a performance-based funding model to build the conference center, under which the developer would supply the capital to build the center, and the city would reimburse the developer only once the development meets the agreed-upon success benchmarks.

What they’re saying

Council member Joseph Koza said he felt Pearland has “heartburn” regarding multifamily development and asked the developer for maximum allowances for that type of development.

Janssen said that the project currently caps the proposed multifamily development at 1,100 units.

Council member Tony Carbone asked that the project not become a “big slug of residential” without the promised commercial amenities, especially fine dining restaurants.

Janssen said that the planned development includes provisions that prevent the developer from building out all the residential units without also constructing the nonresidential development.

Original Article: The Orchard at Lower Kirby mixed-use Development along Hwy. 288 in Pearland advances
By: Rachel Leland, Government Reporter
Date: March 30, 2026
Source: Community Impact
https://communityimpact.com/houston/pearland-friendswood-manvel/development/2026/03/30/the-orchard-at-lower-kirby-mixed-use-development-along-hwy-288-in-pearland-advances/