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Apr
11
Mar
05
Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou
Activating and Connecting Six Sites along Buffalo Bayou in the East Sector
SATURDAY, April 7, 2018
WHAT:
Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) recently launched a major planning effort to bring a new network of waterfront parks and open spaces along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector, stretching from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. As part of the organization’s East Sector outreach, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is collaborating with students from the University of Houston Graphic Design and Creative Writing Programs to present Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou on Saturday, April 7th.
This afternoon event features site-specific, text-based installations at six locations along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector. Using the sites as inspiration and vehicles for content, the students created large scale typographic/text based messages/stories that activate and animate. The installations express interpretations of the history, economy, resilience, culture and community values of the East Sector neighborhoods as they relate to the bayou and green spaces.
The public is invited to take self-guided tours of the installations and share ideas and opinions related to Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s future plans along the Bayou’s East Sector. Participatory activities ranging from nature walks to boat tours will be offered at the sites and live entertainment and food trucks will be located at the North York Boat Launch site.
This event is made possible in part through the City’s Initiative Grant Program of the Houston Arts Alliance. Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou is funded by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts in the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.
Visit buffalobayou.org for more information. View more photos here.
WHEN: Saturday, April 7, 2018
WHERE: Six locations along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector:
Allen’s Landing – 1005 Commerce Street, Houston, TX 77002
Gravel Silos – 507 N. Nagle Street, Houston, TX 77003
Japhet Creek – 4600 Clinton Drive (at Emile Street), Houston TX 77020
BBP Field Office – 723 N. Drennan Street, Houston, TX 77003
Yolanda Black Navarro Buffalo Bend Nature Park – 2300 S. Sgt Macario Garcia Drive, Houston TX 77011
North York Boat Launch – 808 N. York Street, Houston, TX 77003
*Entertainment and food trucks
COST: FREE (food and drinks for sale at the North York location)
TIME: 1-4pm
WHAT ELSE:
Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s goal for this planning project is to reclaim the waterfront for East Sector residents and create green spaces that will catalyze the equitable revitalization of their communities.
BBP is developing a plan that is based on:
- Authenticity – Creating unique park spaces that reflect the cultural and industrial legacy of the East Sector
- Connectivity – Rethinking how parks and neighborhoods interact by activating the waterfront and connecting it to surrounding neighborhoods
- Inclusivity – Establishing a pioneering precedent where green space can catalyze equitable communities
- Resiliency – Providing a sustainable waterfront model by limiting environmental or man-made risks while allowing them to adapt in an ever-changing city.
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About Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Established in 1986, Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is the non-profit organization transforming and revitalizing Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. BBP’s geographic focus is the 10-square mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. Thanks to the generous support of foundations, corporations, individuals and government agencies, BBP has raised and leveraged more than $150 million for the redevelopment and stewardship of the waterfront – spearheading award-winning projects such as Sabine Promenade and Sesquicentennial Park, protecting land for future parks, constructing hike and bike trails, and operating comprehensive clean-up and maintenance programs. BBP recently completed the $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project that includes major destinations, natural landscaping, footpaths, trail lighting, water features and pedestrian bridges. Buffalo Bayou Partnership maintains and operates Buffalo Bayou Park, with annual funding provided by the Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #3. Buffalo Bayou Partnership also seeks ways to activate Buffalo Bayou through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities; volunteer activities; permanent and temporary art installations; and wide-ranging tours and events that attract thousands. For more information, please visit www.buffalobayou.org.
Feb
27
Welcome to the Buffalo Bayou Blog!
One of the things I have always loved about Houston is how persistent our natural world is. I’m from up north, where each spring you race to coax the season from the ground hoping that life will finally return to the world. Here, you spend all your time hacking back everything you have declared unworthy, hoping to make a bit of room for that rose bush you love so much. This blog is going to be about everything that’s crowding out and nibbling on the rose bush and I hope to help Houston learn to celebrate the profusion of life that will rush into any open space we forget to build on. Most particularly, I’m going to write about Buffalo Bayou Park. I have had a 30 year romance with this park, living just a half mile north. I loved it when it was wild and a bit frightening and I have learned to love it almost as much now because I get to share it with so many people. Buffalo Bayou Park is a wild space and in each blog post, I hope to share with you something I saw on a walk in the park. Sometimes it will be a huge and amazing thing; often, it will be something small and amazing. Life is amazing and it is running wild in Buffalo Bayou Park. I am Alisa Kline, a Texas Master Naturalist, and I hope you join me as I attempt to chronicle the wonders of our Park.
Feb
14
Discovery Green® Hosts Kick Off of Bayou City Music Series on March 1 and Wraps Up at Buffalo Bayou Park on May 19
HOUSTON, TX — Discovery Green, the 12-acre park in the heart of downtown Houston, kicks off its Spring 2018 Season with the Bayou City Music Series. This new concert series honors the great jazz, blues and zydeco musicians of Houston in free concerts taking place in three parks.
Acclaimed Houston rapper Bun B headlines the series kickoff at Discovery Green on Thursday,
March 1, with opening performances by the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) Jazz Ensemble; Milton Hopkins, B. B. King’s bandleader; and Jewel Brown, former vocalist for Louis Armstrong’s Orchestra. This event takes place on the 10th anniversary of Discovery Green’s first-ever event in 2008, “One for Doc,” a concert honoring HSPVA’s nationally recognized jazz program.
On Saturday, April 7, Grammy Award-winning pianist and record producer Robert Glasper returns home for his first performance at the historic Emancipation Park. The HSPVA Jazz Sextet, from Glasper’s alma mater, will open.
The series moves to The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park on Saturday, May 19. The lineup features the full HSPVA Jazz Band; saxophonist Grady Gaines, who has recorded with Little Richard, Sam Cooke and many others; vocalist Trudy Lynn; and the ThunderSOUL Orchestra, a 14-piece orchestra featuring former students of Conrad Johnson from Kashmere High School, which was the subject of a 2011 documentary film.
This free music series resumes in September with one more event at each park. The Bayou City Music Series is made possible by the Kinder Foundation.
Event Details
WHAT:
Bayou City Music Series: Bun B, HSPVA Jazz Ensemble, Milton Hopkins, Jewel Brown Thursday, March 1, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010
Bayou City Music Series: Robert Glasper, HSPVA Jazz Sextet Saturday, April 7, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Emancipation Park, 3018 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, TX 77010
Bayou City Music Series: HSPVA Jazz Band, Grady Gaines, Trudy Lynn, the ThunderSOUL Orchestra
Saturday, May 19, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX 77007
COST: Admission is free
IMAGES: http://bit.ly/2GAIrkC
MORE:
Discovery Green
facebook.com/events/768626063345774/www.discoverygreen.com
Facebook: @DiscoveryGreenHouston Twitter: @DiscoveryGreen
Instagram: @DiscoveryGreen
Emancipation Park
www.emancipationparkconservancy.org
Facebook: @EPConservancy
Twitter: @EmancipationParkHou
Buffalo Bayou Park
www.buffalobayou.org
Facebook: @BuffaloBayou
Twitter: @BuffaloBayou
Instagram: @BuffaloBayou
Feb
10
Buffalo Bayou Partnership Welcomes Eight New Board Members
HOUSTON – February 12, 2018 –Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) announced eight new members to its board of directors during its annual meeting and luncheon on January 26th at La Griglia.
New board members include Shawn W. Cloonan, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for the Texas Medical Center; Gaynell Floyd Drexler, Attorney-at-Law; Michael D. Fertitta, SVP and General Counsel for Hilcorp Energy Company; Christina Morales, President/CEO of Morales Funeral Home; Winifred Riser, community volunteer; Shannon B. Sasser, Shannon Sasser Architecture; Carson Trapnell Seeligson, InVista Advisors, LLP; and Christof Spieler, PE, LEED AP, Vice President and Director of Planning for Huitt-Zollars.
The following board officers are continuing with their roles again this year: Thomas Fish, Chair; Jonathan H. Brinsden, Vice Chair; Bas Solleveld, Vice Chair; Paul A. Cannings, Jr., Treasurer; and Nory Angel, Secretary.
“We are delighted to welcome this stellar group to our board,” said Anne Olson, president of Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “Our new members bring a wealth of experience and strong interest for protecting, preserving and improving Buffalo Bayou.”
The 39-member board of directors includes: Ralph Abendshein, Murad Ajani, Richard M. Blades,
C. Ronald Blankenship, Carolyn W. Dorros, Bolivar Fraga, Cristina Garcia Gamboa, Stacey Gillman, Guy Hagstette, Kellie R. Jenks, Samir Khushalani, Lisa Marshall, Ginni Mithoff, Sara-Ashley Moreno, Judy Nyquist, David Ott, Jr., Alison Porter, Karl S. Stern, Judy Tate, Jeff Taylor, Claire Cormier Thielke, Saul Valentin, Anne Whitlock, Renee Wizig-Barrios, Robert P. Wright and Ellyn Wulfe. Chair Emeritus members include Chuck Carlberg, Brady F. Carruth, Collin J. Cox, Mike Garver, Sis Johnson, Susan Keeton and Bob Phillips.
Board members retiring this year include Christina A. Bryan, Clayton Erikson, J. David Heaney,
Lynn M. Herbert, John Mooz, Charles R. Parker, Carleton Riser and Geraldina Wise.
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About Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Established in 1986, Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is the non-profit organization transforming and revitalizing Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. BBP’s geographic focus is the 10-square mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. BBP has raised and leveraged more than $150 million for the redevelopment and stewardship of the waterfront – spearheading award-winning projects such as Sabine Promenade and Sesquicentennial Park, protecting land for future parks, constructing hike and bike trails, and operating comprehensive clean-up and maintenance programs. BBP recently completed the $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project that includes major destinations, natural landscaping, footpaths, trail lighting, water features and pedestrian bridges. Buffalo Bayou Partnership also seeks ways to activate Buffalo Bayou through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities; volunteer activities; permanent and temporary art installations; and wide-ranging tours and events that attract thousands.
Jan
29
Buffalo Bayou Partnership Hosts Community Gatherings
Continues master planning for the waterway east of downtown from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin
HOUSTON – January 29, 2018 – Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) recently launched a major planning effort to bring a new network of waterfront parks and open spaces along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector, stretching from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. BBP’s goal for this project is to reclaim the waterfront for East Sector residents and create green spaces that will catalyze the equitable revitalization of their communities. The organization will be sponsoring two community town halls to meet with East End and Fifth Ward residents, and business and property owners to shape a vision for the future of Buffalo Bayou. The meetings, which are being co-sponsored with Houston City Council Members Karla Cisneros and Robert Gallegos and Vice Mayor Pro Tem Jerry V. Davis, are being held:
Tuesday, February 6
6-8:30 p.m.
DeLuxe Theater
3303 Lyons Avenue
Wednesday, February 7
6-8:30 p.m.
BakerRipley
Ripley House Community Center
4410 Navigation Boulevard
“We are committed to a strong community engagement process,” says BBP President Anne Olson. “While we want to hear from a range of stakeholders, we are strongly focused on seeking the input of long-time residents and business owners in the East End and Fifth Ward, two neighborhoods that border Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector.” Olson further points out that BBP is developing a plan that is based on:
- Authenticity – Creating unique park spaces that reflect the cultural and industrial legacy of the East Sector
- Connectivity – Rethinking how parks and neighborhoods interact by activating the waterfront and connecting it to surrounding neighborhoods
- Inclusivity – Establishing a pioneering precedent where green space can catalyze equitable communities
- Resiliency – Providing a sustainable waterfront model by limiting environmental or man-made risks while allowing them to adapt in an ever-changing city
The communities of the East End and Fifth Ward have long been separated from Buffalo Bayou, its unique beauty, and exciting industrial context. Long-time East End resident and BBP board member Bolivar Fraga says, “We have a great opportunity to bring together communities north and south of the bayou and connect them to the waterfront and to each other.”
Unlike other parts of Buffalo Bayou, the East Sector was not impacted heavily by Hurricane Harvey due to its higher elevation. Because of this, one of the plan’s areas of focus will be more on long-term resiliency needs such as new housing opportunities.
“We want to not only bring new open space, but also to build a model for resilient, mixed-income residential development that can accommodate Houstonians who were displaced by the storm while enhancing the strong vibrant and culturally rich East Sector,” states Olson.
The high caliber multidisciplinary planning team working on the East Sector plan is led by Michael Van Valkenburg (MVVA), an internationally recognized landscape architecture firm, and HR&A Advisors, an industry-leading real estate, economic development, and public policy firm. Other consultant team members include: Utile(Urban Planning & Design), Huitt-Zollars (Architecture and Civic Engineering), Stantec (Transportation) and Limnotech (Hydrology).
MVVA brings to Houston wide-ranging experience and a proven track record of success in creating acclaimed and economically viable parks and waterfronts such as Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson River Park in New York City, and Maggie Daly Park and the 606 in Chicago. The firm is also very familiar with Houston as they recently completed plans for The Menil Collection, Hermann Park and Houston Parks Board.
For more than 35 years, HR&A has been working with parks throughout the US and abroad to develop open space real estate strategies, financing plans, programming activation, and sustainable operations and maintenance programs. The High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, Tulsa Riverfront and Dallas Trinity River are among the more than 100 parks that have benefited from HR&A’s talent.
The Buffalo Bayou East Sector planning project has been funded by Bank of America Charitable Foundation, The Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation, The Carruth Foundation, Inc., The Clayton Fund, Fifth Ward Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ #18), The Garver Foundation, Greater East End Management District, Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ #23), Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, Houston Endowment Inc., Midway, Anne Whitlock and Michael Skelly, The Winston Charitable Foundation and The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
About Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Established in 1986, Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is the non-profit organization transforming and revitalizing Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. BBP’s geographic focus is the 10-square mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. BBP has raised and leveraged more than $150 million for the redevelopment and stewardship of the waterfront – spearheading award-winning projects such as Sabine Promenade and Sesquicentennial Park, protecting land for future parks, constructing hike and bike trails, and operating comprehensive clean-up and maintenance programs. BBP recently completed the $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project that includes major destinations, natural landscaping, footpaths, trail lighting, water features and pedestrian bridges. Buffalo Bayou Partnership also seeks ways to activate Buffalo Bayou through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities; volunteer activities; permanent and temporary art installations; and wide-ranging tours and events that attract thousands.
Jan
09
Buffalo Bayou Hurricane Harvey Update – January 2018
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Dec
11
East Sector Exhibitions at the Sunset Coffee Building on view through January 29, 2018
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Explore exhibitions by architectural designer Jae Boggess and students of the UH School of Art. Both of these exhibits feature buildings and landmarks located east of downtown Houston along Buffalo Bayou, which is relevant to Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s newly launched East Sector master plan. This major planning effort along Buffalo Bayou going east will incorporate East Sector neighborhoods and existing structures to establish a pioneering precedent where green space can be a catalyst for inclusive growth and community development.
This East Sector-focused exhibition will appropriately on view at Sunset Coffee Building, Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s administrative offices now through January 29th. (Closed from 12/25 – 1/1 and reopens 1/2.)
For more about the Buffalo Bayou East Sector Master Plan here.
Eastside as Found by Jae Boggess
Funded by a grant from The Rice Design Alliance, this photography exhibit documents industrial and commercial buildings east of downtown. In danger of demolition, these neglected and largely vacant buildings help tell the story of Houston as a repeated boomtown and have the potential to define a unique sense of place as these neighborhoods change. Architectural designer Jae Boggess hopes that the exhibit will prompt a dialogue about what will become of our city’s built history.
Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou
Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou is a collaboration between students from the University of Houston Graphic Design and Creative Writing programs with funding support from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The exhibit features proposals for site-based installations and engagement events to be held on sites along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector in spring 2018. The installations express an interpretation of the history, economy, resilience, culture and community values of the East End and Fifth Ward communities as they relate to the bayou and green spaces.
Nov
14
Buffalo Bayou Park Selected as a Winner of the Urban Land Institute’s 2017-2018 Global Awards for Excellence
For more information, contact: Trish Riggs, 202-624-7086; trisha.riggs@uli.org
WASHINGTON (November 14, 2017)—Thirteen real estate development projects from around the globe have been selected as winners of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2017-2018 Global Awards for Excellence, which is widely recognized as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious awards programs.
The winners, each of which demonstrates an innovative, forward-looking approach to design and development, include eight projects in the United States, two in Canada, one in Europe, and two in Asia:
- Azkuna Zentroa, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain (Developers: Bilbao City Council, Alhóndiga, Center of Ocio y Cultura, Bilbao Ría 2000; Designer: Philippe Starck)
- Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston, Texas, United States (Developer: Buffalo Bayou Partnership; Designers: SWA Group, Page)
- Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, Illinois, United States (Developers: City of Chicago, Department of Transportation; Designers: Ross Barney Architects [All Phases], Sasaki [Phases 2, 3] Alfred Benesch & Company [Phases 2, 3], Jacobs/Ryan Associates [All Phases] and Collins Engineers [Phase 1])
- Downtown Allentown Revitalization District, (including PPL Center Arena Block & City Center Lehigh Valley), Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States (Owners/developers: Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority, Hammes Company, City Center Investment Corp. et al.; Designers: Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects (now Perkins+Will), Elkus – Manfredi Architects, et al.)
- Emeryville Center of Community Life, Emeryville, California, United States (Developers: Turner Construction Company, Swinerton Management & Consulting; Designers: Nexus Partners, DSK Architects, Mark Seiberlich Concordia, Steven Bingler, MKThink, Steve Kelley)
- Half Moon Village, Half Moon Bay, California, United States (Developer: MidPen Housing Corp.; Designer: Herman Coliver Locus Architecture)
- Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (Developer: Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd.; Master planner and coordinator: Urban Design Center Kashiwa-no-ha (UDCK); Designer: ZGF, Nikken Sekkei Ltd., Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc. Architects, Studio on Site (landscape architect)
- Marine Gateway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Developer: PCI Developments; Designer: Perkins+Will)
- Milwaukee RiverWalk, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States (Developers: The Milwaukee RiverWalk District, Inc., The Mandel Group, Business Improvement District No. 2, The Brewery Works, Inc. et al; Designers: KenKay Associates, Mary Miss, Engberg Anderson Architects, et al)
- Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore, Singapore (Developer: Far East Organization; Designer: WOHA)
- Pearl, San Antonio, Texas, United States (Developer: Silver Ventures, Inc.; Designers: Lake Flato Architects, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors, Don McDonald Architects, Sprinkle & Co. Architects, Ford Powell & Carson Architects, Jim Kissling Architecture, Dado Group, Clayton & Little Architecture)
- University Center- The New School, New York, New York, United States (Developer: The Durst Organization; Designer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP)
- West Don Lands, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Master Developer: Waterfront Toronto; Precinct Plan: Urban Design Associates; Developers: Urban Capital [River City], DREAM Unlimited, Kilmer Group [Canary District], Toronto Community Housing; Public Realm & Urban Designers: The Planning Partnership with PFS Studio with &Co., Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc.; Landscape Designers: Claude Cormier & Associates, NAK Design Strategies; Architectural Design – River City: Saucier & Perrotte, ZAS Architects; Architectural Design – Canary District: architectsAlliance, KPMB Architects, Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects, Daoust Lestage, MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects, Design/Builder – Canary District: EllisDon Inc., Ledcor Group; Retail Designer: Live Work Learn Play)
The winners were selected by an international jury made up of ULI members representing a multidisciplinary collection of real estate development expertise, including finance, land planning, development, public affairs, design, and other professional services.
“Each of these winners demonstrates a thoughtful, innovative approach to urban development that is adding to the sustainability and livability of the communities in which they are located,” said 2017-2018 Global Awards Jury Chairman Wendy Rowden, president of 42nd Street Development Corp. in New York City. “The attention paid to project detail, flexible design, and neighborhood context were among the factors making these entries stand out. They represent the type of development that will withstand the tests of time and change.”
“Cities are about people—the way we interact, get around, and go about our daily routines. Great cities are made of great places that make the urban experience easy and enjoyable,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “These projects reflect the highest standards of design, construction, economics, planning, and management. But most important, they are improving people’s quality of life.”
The Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979 and subsequently expanded to a global program, recognizes real estate projects that achieve the highest standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning, and management. Widely considered the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to promote best practices in real estate development, the program recognizes the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnerships, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability. Throughout the program’s history, all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.
In addition to Jury Chairman Rowden, the 2017-2018 Global Awards for Excellence Jury members were Stuart Ackerberg, chief executive officer, Ackerberg, Minneapolis; Toni Alexander, president and creative director, InterCommunications, Inc., Newport Beach, California; Jeff Barber, principal and managing director, Gensler, Washington, D.C.; Ame M. Engelhart, director, Hong Kong Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Hong Kong; Michael Grove, principal, Sasaki, Shanghai; Sophie Henley-Price, managing director, STUDIOS Architecture, Paris; Lynn Hoffman Carlton, regional director of planning, HOK, Kansas City, Missouri; Lance K. Josal, chief executive officer, Callison RTKL, Dallas; Roger G. Orf, partner, Apollo Management LLP, London; Alex J. Rose, senior vice president, Continental Development Corporation, El Segundo, California; and Rebecca Stone, managing principal, OZ Architecture, Denver.
NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Upon request, high-resolution images of the 2017-2018 ULI Global Awards for Excellence winners are available to the media. More information about ULI’s Awards for Excellence program and previous winners is available here.
About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Oct
23
Buffalo Bayou Hurricane Harvey Update – October 2017
Dear Friends:
Since Hurricane Harvey, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been focused on cleanup efforts along Buffalo Bayou. We hope this update will provide you with valuable information, show you the challenges that we have been facing, and give you a glimpse of how hard our maintenance staff is working.
BUFFALO BAYOU PARK AND DOWNTOWN
As we’ve mentioned previously, Hurricane Harvey left us with the tale of two parks. The upper portion of Buffalo Bayou Park fared extremely well with very little damage, while the lower areas were greatly impacted. Since Harvey, we’ve been hard at work clearing trails, stockpiling large amounts of sediment, removing trash and plastic bags from the trees and repairing lights. Here is a rundown on where we stand:
Buffalo Bayou Park Concrete Trails (Sandy Reed Memorial Trail)
These trails are open from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. However, we do have equipment working in nearby areas so please use these trails with caution.
Buffalo Bayou Park Asphalt Footpaths
- Southside Portion Open: Westside from Carruth Bridge to Rosemont Bridge
- Southside Portion Closed: Crosby Outfall to below Eleanor Tinsley Park and from Rosemont Bridge west to McGovern Cascade
- Northside Portion Open: West of Great Small Trees area to west of the Scurloock Foundation Overlook and Tapley Tributary to Sabine Street
- Northside Portion Closed: Jackson Hill Bridge to Tapley Tributary
Downtown Trails
- Southside Trail Open: Sabine Street to Allen’s Landing
- Northside Trail Open: Sabine Street to Preston Street (just below the Aquarium)
- Northside Trail Closed: Preston Street to University of Houston-Downtown
Please refer to our Buffalo Bayou Guide for locations
RESERVOIR RELEASES AND TRAIL EROSION
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended the releases from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs a week ago. Due to the high water levels we experienced for nearly six weeks, numerous footpaths in Buffalo Bayou Park have suffered erosion. We are currently in discussions with Harris County Flood Control District representatives about needed repairs. Other areas along the downtown stretch of Buffalo Bayou also experienced trail erosion.
SEDIMENT REMOVAL
The majority of our maintenance crew’s time has been spent removing silt and stockpiling it for hauling. We have gone through a very thorough process to test the silt, following the policy guidance of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). We were pleased to learn after testing that the silt can be handled without special measures, and so, beginning Monday, October 23 Sprint Sand and Clay, with the assistance of Millis Construction, the Buffalo Bayou Park construction contractor, will be hauling off the silt for disposal. We expect the hauling to take several weeks. Please note there also are numerous flood benches in Buffalo Bayou Park that were specifically designed for sediment collection. Sediment removal in these areas is the responsibility of the Harris County Flood Control District.
TREES
Hundreds of trees all along Buffalo Bayou were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. We are clearing downed trees, removing trash (particularly plastic bags), and standing up those that are leaning and can be saved. In some cases, we will not know until spring if the trees will survive.
OTHER BUFFALO BAYOU PARK DESTINATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
- Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area: Due to needed stair repairs, this site is currently closed. We expect it to be open within the next three weeks.
- Johnny Steele Dog Park: This site is closed and will remain closed for several months. Please know we are currently discussing adjustments to this area to prevent the on-going damage and the extensive maintenance hours it takes to maintain this site.
- Bike and Canoe/Kayak Rentals: As reported earlier, Bike Barn is fully operational at the Wortham Insurance Visitor Center while Bayou City Adventures has curtailed all boat rentals for the remainder of the year from the Lost Lake Visitor Center.
- The Dunlavy: Please stop by The Dunlavy when you are out and about in the park. The popular café was up and running several days after Hurricane Harvey.
- Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern: We are happy to note that the history tours through this historic water reservoir are taking place Thursday-Sunday. Visit our website at buffalobayou.org to purchase your tickets.
WAUGH DRIVE BRIDGE BAT COLONY
The bats at Waugh Drive Bridge are steadily recovering from Harvey’s flood, staying “Houston Strong.” The bat colony was hit hard and the population is definitely lower, but bats are roosting in many of the bridge’s crevices again. While the weather remains warm (above 50° F), the bats are emerging at or after sunset to hunt for insects across the night sky as usual. Bats roosting at other nearby parking garages and buildings are joining the Waugh Bridge emergence farther down the bayou.
EAST SECTOR
East of downtown, Buffalo Bayou took quite a hit. Several high banks significantly eroded and as a result, trails have been undermined or failed completely. As part of our East Sector master planning project that kicked off in early fall, our hydrology consultants are working with Dr. Phil Bedient, a Rice University civil and environmental engineering professor and director of the Severe Storm Protection, Education and Evacuation from Disaster Center (SSPEED), to develop an understanding of historical channel evolution and past storm events, develop a suite of combined rain/surge/rise conditions, and gathering, evaluating, refining and applying models. This information will be very valuable when we begin our community engagement process at the beginning of 2018. It also will inform design decisions relating to trail and park construction, and housing development along the bayou.
VOLUNTEERS
We have been truly gratified by the number of volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours to the Buffalo Bayou cleanup. We could not be making as much as progress as we are were it not for the many individuals, corporate volunteers and school groups that are helping us. If you would like to volunteer, please go to our website www.buffalobayou.org.
CONTRIBUTIONS
We also are thankful for the many people who have supported us financially. In addition to generous Houstonians, we have had individuals from throughout the country send us very thoughtful donations and encouraging words, including the staff at Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York City. When this group saw images of Buffalo Bayou in the media they sent requests to their members asking for donations to assist Buffalo Bayou Partnership with our cleanup.
In closing, please know we are working as swiftly as possible to bring back the beauty of Buffalo Bayou. We ask for your continuing patience and support. For those interested in donating to Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Harvey clean-up efforts, please click here. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Anne Olson
President