HOUSTON, Texas (October 7, 2024) – Saturday marked a monumental occasion as Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) and the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department, alongside dedicated partners, celebrated the ribbon cutting of Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou. Located in Houston’s East End, this pivotal development is the first affordable housing initiative within the transformative Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan, symbolizing a groundbreaking approach to community revitalization and inclusive urban planning.

Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou exemplifies the community-driven vision of Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Buffalo Bayou East initiative. Supported by a $310 million investment, including a $100 million catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation, this project integrates parks, trails, bayou-crossing bridges, cultural destinations, and infrastructure improvements, creating a unified community that prioritizes accessible and affordable housing for the Greater East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods.

Situated on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou, Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou offers 80 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units for residents with incomes ranging from 30%-80% of AMI (Area Median Income). Designed to enhance the quality of life, each home features expansive floor plans, abundant natural light, and modern amenities including in-unit laundry. More than a residence, it’s a community hub with indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a children’s play area, and original works by Houston artist Gerardo Rosales. Prioritizing sustainability, the project is seeking National Green Building Standard certification with energy and water-efficiency measures that honor the East End’s heritage and the natural setting of Buffalo Bayou.

“Since the launch of the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan in 2019, we have been working tirelessly to design, construct, and realize new and enhanced parks, trails, and community assets like Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou,” said Anne Olson, President of Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “We are deeply grateful to our partners for helping to make this moment a reality and look forward to more projects coming to fruition in the future.”

“The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department is proud to have contributed significantly to this project. Our $9.9 million investment in Community Development Block Grant Funds underscores our commitment to building communities that meet essential housing needs and uplift the human spirit,” stated Michael C. Nichols, Director of Housing and Community Development. “Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou is a beacon of thoughtful urban planning and collaboration.”

The Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou site is surrounded by expansive green space where upcoming enhancements include lighting, native plantings, foot paths, and a dog run. This area will be connected to nearby Tony Marron Park via an improved hike and bike trail along the bayou, and a new road, Marron Park Way, along the south side of the site, extending from Lockwood Drive to N. York Street.

“Our Buffalo Bayou East work represents a new way of thinking about parks and community planning,” says Olson. “Historically, the park and housing sectors have worked independently. I think Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou shows how these siloed investment areas can work together. Even more, we can create climate-resilient neighborhoods when we collaborate across these sectors.”

This project was the outcome of extensive community engagement during the master planning process in which residents expressed the need for more affordable housing. BBP owned this property along the waterway near Lockwood Drive and, following these community discussions and a rigorous master planning process, opted to partner with Brinshore, a national affordable housing developer, to dedicate it to income-inclusive housing.

“I feel really safe and it’s quiet,” said ZaBria Atkins, a resident who recently relocated from the Fifth Ward to the development. “Having the park here…that’s going to be something.”

“What first interested me was the fact that it’s new,” said Ashley Yancey, who recently moved to Houston from Illinois and set her sights on Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou. “When you stop here it’s so peaceful. It’s very beautiful. And it has very, very good prices, you know, for what you get, especially nowadays.”

As an added cause for celebration at Saturday’s event, Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Board Chair, Gaynell Floyd Drexler, announced that the 10-acre park adjoining this site will be named Garver Park in honor of BBP’s longtime Board Member and Chair Emeritus, Mike Garver, for his generosity in donating land and financial support to make this project possible and his decades-long dedication to BBP.

Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou’s official opening celebration took place on Saturday, October 5 with remarks, performances, and a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou has been awarded 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits ($15M) as well as additional HOME funding ($1.3M) from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The development has been awarded $9.8M of City of Houston CDBG-DR funding structured as a forgivable loan. Philanthropic support for Phase One comes from The Cullen Foundation.

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About City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department
The City of Houston Housing and Community Development (HCD) department makes long-term investments to improve the lives of Houston residents by creating opportunities for every Houstonian to have a home they can afford in a community where they can thrive. Our department will invest approximately $450 million in federal, state, and local funds this fiscal year to construct and maintain affordable homes, reduce barriers to homeownership, support the work of social service providers, build public amenities, and facilitate disaster recovery efforts. Learn more about programs and resources for Houstonians at www.houstontx.gov/housing.

About Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Established in 1986, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is the non-profit organization creating and stewarding welcoming parks, trails, and unique spaces, connecting Houstonians with the city’s most significant natural waterway. The organization’s geographic focus is the 10-square mile stretch of the bayou that flows from Shepherd Drive, through the heart of downtown into the East End, and on to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. In addition to spearheading award-winning green spaces such as Buffalo Bayou Park, BBP also removes trash from the waterway and activates the bayou through unique programs, public art, volunteer events, and recreational opportunities that enrich the quality of life in Houston.

About the Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan
By 2032, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and its partners will realize the Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan, bringing parks, trails, bayou-crossing bridges, affordable housing, cultural destinations, and infrastructure improvements to the Greater East End and Fifth Ward. This visionary plan is made possible by a $100 million catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation to Buffalo Bayou Partnership, which leveraged $24.3 million from Harris County, $83.5 million from the City of Houston including funds from Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ) #23 and #18, and $19.1 million in federal housing tax credits. Buffalo Bayou Partnership continues to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the plan.