Buffalo Bayou Master Plan

[mollusk]

Moore's Large Spindle Piece is on very high ground (well, as high as one gets near a bayou).  Its design also makes it pretty flood friendly - nothing's going to snag on it, and once the waters recede you can just hose whatever mud there might be right off.

[MarathonMan]

I look at it this way:. Yes, an installation like Cloud Gate would be tough to maintain in Buffalo Bayou Park (although Hermann Park would be a perfect place for something like that).  But we've built a myriad of bridges over the bayou, we have The Dunlavy at Lost Lake and a host of major downtown buildings a stone's throw from the bayou.  We can easily engineer something truly grand, that stirs the imagination, draws big crowds and captures the attention of the world beyond southeast Texas while being able to withstand flooding at the same time.  And there is plenty of money in this town to make it happen.  I think the greatest barrier to accomplishing something iconic is Houston's mindset.  Consciously or not, we seem to prefer to fly under the radar.  We'll take the small "I ❤️ Houston" sign along the feeder on I-10 while LA has "HOLLYWOOD".  Mind you, I understand that we don't have hills to pull off the same thing here, but hopefully you get my point...

Edited June 15, 2016 by MarathonMan

[Sunstar]

16 hours ago, samagon said:

 

yeah, thankfully it's unsolicited. not that I don't want to see something like this in Houston, or it isn't a cool concept, but there's other parks in Houston that money should be spent on before we come back to BBP. It was what 50 million to do the current renovation?

 

 

I don't think BBP is slowing down anytime soon. I don't have any direct evidence, but I would expect them to release details on the next phase of the project that will extend the project eastward from Allen's landing some time this year. They've been busy buying up a lot of old industrial sites along the Bayou's east end. Two specific elements from the master plan that I would like to see come to fruition is the Commerce Street Promenade and the Turkey Bend Ecology Park. 

 

 

[samagon]

11 minutes ago, Sunstar said:

 

I don't think BBP is slowing down anytime soon. I don't have any direct evidence, but I would expect them to release details on the next phase of the project that will extend the project eastward from Allen's landing some time this year. They've been busy buying up a lot of old industrial sites along the Bayou's east end. Two specific elements from the master plan that I would like to see come to fruition is the Commerce Street Promenade and the Turkey Bend Ecology Park. 

 

 

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant the area of the park that's just been renovated. From 45 out to Shepherd. They just put 50 million into it, they don't need to toss more into that area, especially when there are other parks and areas of town that are under served.

[KinkaidAlum]

What about Emancipation Park? The rehab taking place there is already fairly nice and it would go to an underserved but also up and coming neighborhood. Plus, the views from that location would be incredible. Build that corkscrew to 350 feet and you'd have uninterrupted views to downtown, midtown, uptown, med center, museum district, UH, ship channel, and more. 

[BeerNut]

52 minutes ago, KinkaidAlum said:

What about Emancipation Park? The rehab taking place there is already fairly nice and it would go to an underserved but also up and coming neighborhood. Plus, the views from that location would be incredible. Build that corkscrew to 350 feet and you'd have uninterrupted views to downtown, midtown, uptown, med center, museum district, UH, ship channel, and more. 

 

That would be awesome but would probably attract too many dog walkers...

[kbates2]

Have to keep out dog walkers.

[bobruss]

Emancipation Park is going to be a beautiful park and the views of downtown will be remarkable. It has so many different areas for recreation and entertainment and It would be a great place for some kind of public sculpture, and hopefully they plan on adding art to the park. if you haven't driven by recently you'd be amazed at the extent to which it is being developed. I am very happy to see this effort going into this side of 288 and hopefully this will bring much pride to the neighborhood.

Between this and Baldwin the east side is really gaining some magnificent outdoor places for recreation and peaceful tranquility. 

I think a walk through Baldwin park on Elgin in that canopy of Live Oaks is one of the most bucolic settings in Houston. Its a truly remarkable grouping of Live Oaks in one park.

 

[quietstorm]

On 6/14/2016 at 4:26 PM, MarathonMan said:

I think your use of the term "iconic" best reflects what I meant in my comment.  Yes, Heritage Plaza and the Bank of America Building are very nice buildings, but I'd submit they are not iconic.  Someone not from Houston or someone who's not an architecture buff would have a hard time coming up with "Houston" when shown a photo of these buildings.  In my mind the Williams Tower is the closest thing we have to an iconic structure.  It's a beautiful building, yes, but what makes it lean iconic is its monumental presence in a sea of small boxes.

Yes, Williams (Transco) Tower is imo the most 'iconic' Houston building.  Most people assume it's our tallest rather than Chase Tower given it's location.

[nativehoustonion]

I always needed Houston ones like Space Needle, Reunion Tower, and CN Tower in Toronto.  I don't like this one and will flood and should be Downtown.  

[Houston19514]

Great article about Buffalo Bayou Park

[Sunstar]

2 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

Great article about Buffalo Bayou Park

 

"Olson, for example, has snapped up an abandoned 1920s sewage treatment plant on a piece of property along Buffalo Bayou’s far east end. We drive over to the less affluent side of town, park in a vacant lot, squeeze through a hole in a chain link fence, and gaze down at the facility’s rusted array of plumbing. Bravely—and somewhat perversely—she thinks the plant’s large, round settling basin (designed to allow solid human waste to sink to the bottom), unused since the 1970s, could be incorporated into a facility for a community group that wants to build a swimming hole along the Bayou."

 

Map

[Sunstar]

Up until now, I didn't like the notion of converting the Pierce elevated into a Highline type park. I thought it was too derivative and would also serve as a continuity barrier between downtown and midtown. This article is making me rethink that notion. Ripping out the Pierce would make the Sabine Promenade less unique. And the Sabine Promenade also defies the notion that land under a freeway is useless. 

[Montrose1100]

42 minutes ago, Sunstar said:

Up until now, I didn't like the notion of converting the Pierce elevated into a Highline type park. I thought it was too derivative and would also serve as a continuity barrier between downtown and midtown. This article is making me rethink that notion. Ripping out the Pierce would make the Sabine Promenade less unique. And the Sabine Promenade also defies the notion that land under a freeway is useless. 

Don't worry, even the future plans still have ribbons of concrete to remain on the west side. I'll have to look back because I don't remember how far they extend but I'm pretty sure Allen Parkway, McKinney, and Dallas exits will still exist.

 

As is the "south" portion of the Pierce is useless underneath. If private development occurs on the remaining half blocks the underneath will not get much sunlight. Demolish it!

[Sunstar]

18 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

As is the "south" portion of the Pierce is useless underneath. If private development occurs on the remaining half blocks the underneath will not get much sunlight. Demolish it!

 

Yeah, I guess it would have to be developed as a highly programmed park to be successful, similar to the Under Gardiner project in Toronto sited in the article. To your point, removing the Pierce would only free up half blocks, which I imagine is less than ideal from a development standpoint. 

Maybe you split the difference and keep it up until Main Street from the west, then it frees up after that.

[BigFootsSocks]

1 hour ago, Sunstar said:

 

"Olson, for example, has snapped up an abandoned 1920s sewage treatment plant on a piece of property along Buffalo Bayou’s far east end. We drive over to the less affluent side of town, park in a vacant lot, squeeze through a hole in a chain link fence, and gaze down at the facility’s rusted array of plumbing. Bravely—and somewhat perversely—she thinks the plant’s large, round settling basin (designed to allow solid human waste to sink to the bottom), unused since the 1970s, could be incorporated into a facility for a community group that wants to build a swimming hole along the Bayou."

 

Map

Lol I'd love to be the TCEQ Rep that sees this proposal on their desk. 

[Houston19514]

1 hour ago, Sunstar said:

 

Yeah, I guess it would have to be developed as a highly programmed park to be successful, similar to the Under Gardiner project in Toronto sited in the article. To your point, removing the Pierce would only free up half blocks, which I imagine is less than ideal from a development standpoint. 

 

 

But a bunch of the adjoining half-blocks are undeveloped or underdeveloped, so the pierce removal can create a bunch of full blocks.

 

[Urbannizer]

http://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=9325&MeetingID=198

 

On June 13, 2001, City Council approved Resolution 2001-28 authorizing the nomination of the Buffalo Bayou Heritage Corridor (the Project) for funding consideration in the statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) administered by Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT). The project was selected for funding, but in 2014 it was withdrawn from the program due to multiple unforeseen delays. TxDOT continued to develop plans and specifications and has worked with Buffalo Bayou Partnership to complete acquisition of right-of-way.

 

In January 2015 TxDOT submitted the Project for funding consideration in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) 2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Call for Projects. In August, 2015 TxDOT requested and HPARD agreed to serve as the eligible project sponsor. On September 25, 2015, the H-GAC Transportation Policy Council approved Federal funding for the project through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) administered locally by TxDOT. As an eligible TAP project partner, TxDOT will provide a portion of the required share of the local funding contribution and construction plans as well as bid and contract for construction services.

 

The scope of work for Project consists of the addition of retaining walls and railing to the existing ten foot wide, concrete trail on the north bank of Buffalo Bayou from McKee Street to the Strauss Trunnion Bridge, rehabilitation of the abandoned Strauss Trunnion Bridge over Buffalo Bayou for pedestrian and bicycle use, construction of a ramp to McKee Street and construction of a ten foot wide, concrete trail on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou from Strauss Trunnion Bridge to west of the UPRR bridge. Additional improvements include landscape materials, pedestrian furniture and way finding signage. The purpose of the Project is to create a safe and convenient link between existing paths on the north and south banks of Buffalo Bayou and to bring bike/ped facilities to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design guidelines.

 

The proposed Funding Agreement commits the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) to provide the Local Government Participation - the City's share - required for the project in the amount of $370,000. City Council is concurrently asked by separate Council Action to approve the Advanced Funding Agreements with TxDOT for the Project.

[H-Town Man]

^^Pertinent bridges photographed here:

Strauss Trunnion bridge is photos 27-28. UPRR bridge is photos 21 and 23-24. This is an important link.

 

[Triton]

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Buffalo Bayou Park by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

 

[Houston19514]

Revitalizing the waterway east of downtown
from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin

HOUSTON - July 27, 2017 - Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is launching a major planning effort along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector that will continue the non-profit organization’s legacy of transformative parks, trails and open space.  In revitalizing the waterway east of downtown (from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin), BBP seeks to establish a pioneering precedent where green space can be a catalyst for inclusive growth and community development.
 
“At its heart, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is about creating parks, trails and bridges to bring Houstonians outdoors,” says Tom Fish, BBP Board Chair.  “Here in the East Sector, we have an opportunity to bring together communities north and south of Buffalo Bayou that have long been disconnected from the waterfront and each other.”
 
Buffalo Bayou Partnership has assembled a high caliber group of consultants to develop this very important master plan for Houston and its East Sector neighborhoods. Working with BBP on this important planning initiative will be a multi-disciplinary consultant team led by Michael Van Valkenburg Associates (MVVA), an internationally recognized landscape architecture firm, and HR&A Advisors, an industry-leading real estate, economic development and public policy firm.  Other consultants include: Huitt-Zollars/formerly Houston’s Morris Architects (Architecture & Civil Engineering), Utile(Urban Planning & Design), Greenberg Consultants (Urban Design), Nelson/Nygaard (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 consultants also are very familiar with Houston as they have recently completed plans for Hermann Park, The Menil and the “Beyond the Bayous” plan for the 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 more than 100 parks that have benefited from HR&A’s talent.
 
“While we want to build off our past projects such as Buffalo Bayou Park, Sabine Promenade and Allen’s Landing, we realize that we are dealing with an entirely different context,” says Anne Olson, BBP President.  “We not only want to reinvigorate the waterfront but bring equitable revitalization opportunities to the East Sector neighborhoods.” Olson points out that the Second Ward has been designated one of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s “Complete Communities.”

[H-Town Man]

So is the 2003 master plan for the whole bayou basically forgotten now, or is that more the vision while this is more the nitty gritty?

 

[Houston19514]

39 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

So is the 2003 master plan for the whole bayou basically forgotten now, or is that more the vision while this is more the nitty gritty?

 

 

I would think the latter.

[H-Town Man]

Hopefully they reference the earlier plan at some point in their press statements so we get a sense that there is continuity and adherence to the earlier vision. I was a big fan of that plan when it came out.

 

[Sunstar]

This will be the more daunting, yet exciting phase of the Buffalo Bayou master plan. It will likely involve the transition of numerous abandoned industrial sites into parks and new ecosystems/habitats. Hopefully they haven't wasted any time acquiring properties along the Bayous East end.

Still, this is probably a 20+ year endeavor.

[samagon]

On 7/27/2017 at 8:58 PM, H-Town Man said:

Hopefully they reference the earlier plan at some point in their press statements so we get a sense that there is continuity and adherence to the earlier vision. I was a big fan of that plan when it came out.

 

 

It was certainly cool, but it always felt to me like pie-in-the-sky dreams rather than a plan that could be adhered to. I do suspect that the vision of the park will be in the same spirit as the 2003 renderings.

 

Then again, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[H-Town Man]

54 minutes ago, samagon said:

 

It was certainly cool, but it always felt to me like pie-in-the-sky dreams rather than a plan that could be adhered to. I do suspect that the vision of the park will be in the same spirit as the 2003 renderings.

 

Then again, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

I took the plan as Boston landscape architects saying, "We have this thing called the Emerald Necklace, and if you want something like that, here's what you would do." It was ambitious, but everything in it was doable. By an ambitious city.

 

With the possible exception of Symphony Island.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by H-Town Man

[Mr.Clean19]

I liked symphony island

[bedmondson]

I don't know if it was mentioned above but there has been some coordination between "Houston Needs a Swimming Hole" people and BBP for east of downtown for potential sites. They have toured BBP owned or controlled sites and are currently doing a feasibility study. One of the sites along the bayou being considered is the former wastewater treatment plant on the north side of Buffalo Bayou and Lockwood Dr.

[Timoric]

-

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Timoric

[Subdude]

Remember the North Canal project?  It's still included in the new master plan.  https://archpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Plan_Downtown_Perspective_North_Cana

 

 

If I'm not mistaken the North Canal was first proposed for flood control in the 1930s.  You have to wonder what it would take to ever get it going.

 

 

 

[cspwal]

Looking at the map, it looks like the only things standing in the way of it are:

- the Union Pacific line that goes under UH-D and crosses San Jacinto

- the Metro bus depot

- a large parking lot

- a building that I think is used by UH-D

 

The largest problem looks to be the rail line, as everything else is semi-publicly owned (Metro, UH-D)

[Houston19514]

40 minutes ago, cspwal said:

Looking at the map, it looks like the only things standing in the way of it are:

- the Union Pacific line that goes under UH-D and crosses San Jacinto

- the Metro bus depot

- a large parking lot

- a building that I think is used by UH-D

 

The largest problem looks to be the rail line, as everything else is semi-publicly owned (Metro, UH-D)

 

Better yet, I don't think it would even take the UH-D building, just small parking lot on the west side of San Jacinto, north of UH-D's pumping station building.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Houston19514

[H-Town Man]

1 hour ago, Subdude said:

Remember the North Canal project?  It's still included in the new master plan.  https://archpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Plan_Downtown_Perspective_North_Cana

 

 

If I'm not mistaken the North Canal was first proposed for flood control in the 1930s.  You have to wonder what it would take to ever get it going.

 

 

 

 

Maybe if a trillion gallons of water fell on the county in a single event, that would cause them to consider something like this.

 

[samagon]

16 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Maybe if a trillion gallons of water fell on the county in a single event, that would cause them to consider something like this.

 

 

It still won't happen.

[Houston19514]

1 hour ago, samagon said:

 

It still won't happen.

 

Because nothing ever happens in Houston, right?  

[samagon]

8 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

 

Because nothing ever happens in Houston, right?  

 

Correct, if this city can't implement something simple like mass transit, how are they ever going to be able to dig holes?

[H-Town Man]

16 minutes ago, samagon said:

 

Correct, if this city can't implement something simple like mass transit, how are they ever going to be able to dig holes?

 

We actually have a pretty good track record of digging, rerouting, and pretty much doing everything you can think of with bayous.

 

[Sunstar]

On 11/15/2017 at 1:28 PM, Subdude said:

Remember the North Canal project?  It's still included in the new master plan.  https://archpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Plan_Downtown_Perspective_North_Cana

 

 

If I'm not mistaken the North Canal was first proposed for flood control in the 1930s.  You have to wonder what it would take to ever get it going.

 

 

 

 

Is this the 'Alcatraz' project? They would have to relocate the Harris County lockup facility, which I think is the bigger project compared to digging a new connector canal. 

[rechlin]

18 hours ago, Sunstar said:

 

Is this the 'Alcatraz' project? They would have to relocate the Harris County lockup facility, which I think is the bigger project compared to digging a new connector canal. 

 

Which building is that?  The drawing shows the Harris County Jail, the Baker Street Jail, and the new joint processing building in their existing locations.  The new buildings shown and the canal would fit on the existing parking lot and Metro facility. 

[Houston19514]

There is no lockup facility that would have to be relocated for this project.  I don't know what Sunstar could be talking about.

[Houston19514]

On 11/16/2017 at 9:05 AM, samagon said:

 

Correct, if this city can't implement something simple like mass transit, how are they ever going to be able to dig holes?

 

Besides the overall awfulness of the Chronicle, my biggest pet peeve about Houston is the general ignorance of Houstonians about their city and the relentless focus on what we don't have/haven't done, to the willful exclusion of all of the things we do have and have done.

 

 

As H-Town Man said, we have quite a long history of being able to "dig holes", as you put it.

 

[Sunstar]

On 11/17/2017 at 9:37 AM, Houston19514 said:

There is no lockup facility that would have to be relocated for this project.  I don't know what Sunstar could be talking about.

 

It wouldn't have to be relocated to dig the North Channel specifically, but what's the point of doing all this development right next to the Harris County Jail?

 

 

 

 

[hindesky]

They have some heavy equipment loading out all the sediment in the Johnny Steele Dog Park.

 

fullsizeoutput_2195 by David, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_2194 by David, on Flickr

[hindesky]

Beavers!!! Unfortunately for them the tree is tethered to a pole. This was on the south bank bike trail between Milam and Louisiana. I could see the tell tale beaver tracks in the river mud.

[kbates2]

Yeah, that is about the third tree they have gotten to in the past couple of years.

[Avossos]

I saw 2 beavers last night in my walk!! They were around Montrose!

 

I love that we have them but we need these trees to Forrest up the greenway so hold banks / prevent erosion / settle in... in a few years a tree every so often won’t phase us

[HoustonMidtown]

Getting ready for the In Bloom Music Festival

 

https://www.inbloomfestival.com

 

[samagon]

On 12/31/2017 at 9:05 AM, Avossos said:

I saw 2 beavers last night in my walk!! They were around Montrose!

 

I love that we have them but we need these trees to Forrest up the greenway so hold banks / prevent erosion / settle in... in a few years a tree every so often won’t phase us

 

Believe it or not, in natural environments, beavers end up doing more good than harm.

 

But then, buffalo bayou isn't a natural environment. 

 

biodiversity is cool and the gang, but maybe some forestry service can help relocate them to a more appropriate surrounding.

[HoustonIsHome]

I knew we had Nutria, but I didn't know we had beavers.

 

 

At the end of the day we have enough flooding issues already. We do not need beaver dams showing down the path of water to the Bay