The Energy Corridor is a business district in Houston, Texas, located on the west side of the metropolitan area between Beltway 8 and the Grand Parkway. The district straddles a stretch of Interstate 10 (the Katy Freeway) from Kirkwood Road westward to Barker Cypress Road and extends south along Eldridge Parkway to Briar Forest Drive. Parts of the district overlap with the Memorial area of Houston. The district is located north of Westchase, another major business district of Houston, and east of Greater Katy. Many energy sector companies have major operations in the Energy Corridor, including BP America, Citgo, ConocoPhillips, Nouryon and Shell Oil Company. Non-energy firms also have a presence; Sysco and Gulf States Toyota Distributors are both headquartered in the district. The Energy Corridor contains over of office space, with an employment capacity of over 105,000. Over of urban park area borders the Energy Corridor, including George Bush Park and Bear Creek Pioneers Park. These parks are located within Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir, respectively, which comprise a major flood control system for Buffalo Bayou. History Energy industry corporations began moving to west Houston in the 1970s, seeking land for suburban office campuses and proximity to new housing developments. Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) had its headquarters in the district until its acquisition by Allied Waste in 2000. In 2001, the Texas Legislature created the Energy Corridor Management District. In Texas, management districts are special government entities empowered to levy commercial taxes within their boundaries to support investments in infrastructure, urban planning, district branding and advertising, and public safety. Since then, the district has been actively involved in the creation of new infrastructure in the area, including road widening and the addition of bicycle lanes and sidewalks, and operates an extensive tree-planting and beautification program. Between 2001 and 2013, the district more than tripled its total property value, from $600 million to over $2 billion. The amount of new office space added to the Energy Corridor between 2005 and 2015 is equivalent to the amount added during the preceding three decades. However, the 2010s oil glut put a damper on this growth, causing office and apartment vacancy rates in the area to rise significantly. Despite this slowdown, the district saw a significant increase in hospital construction during the mid-2010s, including new facilities for Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. ExxonMobil operated a large chemical