Uptown's Single Biggest Problem

Other than Hines, few have contributed more to the development of Uptown than Giorgio Borlenghi, founder of The Interfin Cos. At Wednesday's Bisnow future of Uptown/Greenway Plaza event, Borlenghi shared his biggest concern for the area.

"We have one big challenge. Isolation. No one’s doing anything for us. Certainly the City of Houston isn’t doing anything for us. If they want to do something, they do it mostly Downtown. So we’re left on our own," Borlenghi said. 

Borlenghi praised the work of the Uptown District and Uptown Houston Association, which are spearheading improvements like the Uptown Boulevard project underway to alleviate the area's congestion issues.

Borlenghi has heard the traffic concerns all before, and he is not buying them. In the 1980s, the area went through a tremendous amount of growth.

"I contributed quite heavily to that, and people started to say it was a disaster, traffic is really bad, no one will want to live or office there. Then in the '90s there was another moment of growth, and in 1998 people said the same thing. Here we are, still growing — still thriving." 

Still, Borlenghi is one of Uptown District president John Breeding's biggest critics, and said he would like to see traffic management improved. 

"We can spend money on infrastructure, but at the end of the day at certain times we need to take care of our problems with human beings, as nearly every city does. They can really help us move through to get us where we need to be."