Officials with Houston Downtown Management District
announced Monday the launch of a 20-year plan that will outline recommendations
for planning, development and design in and around the city center.
The project, called Plan Downtown, will offer strategies for
growth in an effort to better position downtown for a competitive future, the
district said in a statement.
"Thirteen years have gone by since Downtown's last
comprehensive plan," Bob Eury, the district's executive director said in
the Monday announcement. "We've made tremendous progress."
The project will be funded by the district and Houston First
Corp. It will be different from, but relate to the principles of, the city's
overall general plan adopted in 2015.
A 17-member leadership group for Plan Downtown will include
representatives of the city of Houston, Harris County, Central Houston,
Downtown Redevelopment Authority / TIRZ No. 3, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and
Theater District Houston, along with officials from East Downtown, Greater East
End, Greater Northside and Midtown.
The process of creating the vision will include a series of
meetings and public workshops with existing and potential downtown residents,
employees and visitors, elected officials, neighborhood leaders and service
providers for the homeless. Meetings are expected to begin this spring with a
plan expected in fall.
The final plan will be a "roadmap that identifies
stakeholders areas of responsibility, designates a phasing strategy and
pinpoints funding opportunities for projects and concepts," the district
said.
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"Having a thriving core is critical to Houston's
success and Downtown continues to be the heartbeat of the region in many ways —
culturally, economically and even in terms of our civic institutions — and it's
a vital part of what makes Houston such a dynamic place," Pat Walsh,
director of planning & development for the city of Houston, said in a
statement.
Some of the topics to be addressed include:
• Attractions,
hospitality and culture
• Economic
potential
• Innovation
and education
• Infrastructure,
mobility and transportation
• Livability,
connectivity and public space
• Social
equity
• Technology
• Urban
planning, development and design
Asakura Robinson — a planning, urban design and landscape
architecture firm with offices in Houston — will draft the plan, along with
consultants from Sasaki, Traffic Engineers Inc. and HR&A Advisors,
The Downtown District was formed in 1995 to revitalize the
urban core. Officials have used public funds and private resources on area
improvements focusing on the city blocks bordered by Interstate 10, Highway 59
and Interstate 45. It is operated under the leadership of a 30-person board,
and funding comes from an assessment on downtown property owners
Source: By Nancy Sarnoff Chron.com
In 2004, city officials
forged a comprehensive plan to transform Houston's central business
district. Now, 13 years later, city officials will come together once
again to decide the next phase of Downtown's metamorphosis.
“We’ve made tremendous progress [since the last comprehensive plan],”
said Bob Eury, executive director of the Downtown District. "A few of
the success stories include: a major opportunity for green space, which
was realized with Discovery Green; greater neighborhood connectivity to
the George R. Brown Convention [Center], which recently coalesced as
Avenida Houston; and more residential, which we accomplished with the
Downtown Living Initiative.”
The 17-member leadership group that will form the new plan is composed
of representatives from the City of Houston, Harris County, Central
Houston, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority / TIRZ No. 3, the Buffalo
Bayou Partnership and Theater District Houston, along with
representatives from East Downtown, Greater East End, Greater Northside
and Midtown.
Asakura Robinson has been selected to draft Plan Downtown with a
consultant team that includes Sasaki, Traffic Engineers Inc. and
HR&A Advisors.
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
Downtown District Launches 'Plan Downtown' To Study Next Phase Of
Development
Flickr: Eflon
Downtown Houston skyline at night
In 2004, city officials forged a comprehensive plan to transform
Houston's central business district. Now, 13 years later, city officials
will come together once again to decide the next phase of Downtown's
metamorphosis.
“We’ve made tremendous progress [since the last comprehensive plan],”
said Bob Eury, executive director of the Downtown District. "A few of
the success stories include: a major opportunity for green space, which
was realized with Discovery Green; greater neighborhood connectivity to
the George R. Brown Convention [Center], which recently coalesced as
Avenida Houston; and more residential, which we accomplished with the
Downtown Living Initiative.”
The 17-member leadership group that will form the new plan is composed
of representatives from the City of Houston, Harris County, Central
Houston, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority / TIRZ No. 3, the Buffalo
Bayou Partnership and Theater District Houston, along with
representatives from East Downtown, Greater East End, Greater Northside
and Midtown.
Asakura Robinson has been selected to draft Plan Downtown with a
consultant team that includes Sasaki, Traffic Engineers Inc. and
HR&A Advisors.
Houston Skyline
Courtesy of TCR
Downtown Houston skyline
Plan Downtown, which will be presented in late fall of this year, will
examine how Downtown can leverage a changing role to grow its economic
competitiveness. To that end, the study will investigate interrelated
topics including:
Attractions, hospitality and culture
Economic potential
Innovation and education
Infrastructure, mobility and transportation
Livability, connectivity and public space
Social equity
Technology
Urban planning, development and design
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
Downtown District Launches 'Plan Downtown' To Study Next Phase Of
Development
Flickr: Eflon
Downtown Houston skyline at night
In 2004, city officials forged a comprehensive plan to transform
Houston's central business district. Now, 13 years later, city officials
will come together once again to decide the next phase of Downtown's
metamorphosis.
“We’ve made tremendous progress [since the last comprehensive plan],”
said Bob Eury, executive director of the Downtown District. "A few of
the success stories include: a major opportunity for green space, which
was realized with Discovery Green; greater neighborhood connectivity to
the George R. Brown Convention [Center], which recently coalesced as
Avenida Houston; and more residential, which we accomplished with the
Downtown Living Initiative.”
The 17-member leadership group that will form the new plan is composed
of representatives from the City of Houston, Harris County, Central
Houston, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority / TIRZ No. 3, the Buffalo
Bayou Partnership and Theater District Houston, along with
representatives from East Downtown, Greater East End, Greater Northside
and Midtown.
Asakura Robinson has been selected to draft Plan Downtown with a
consultant team that includes Sasaki, Traffic Engineers Inc. and
HR&A Advisors.
Houston Skyline
Courtesy of TCR
Downtown Houston skyline
Plan Downtown, which will be presented in late fall of this year, will
examine how Downtown can leverage a changing role to grow its economic
competitiveness. To that end, the study will investigate interrelated
topics including:
Attractions, hospitality and culture
Economic potential
Innovation and education
Infrastructure, mobility and transportation
Livability, connectivity and public space
Social equity
Technology
Urban planning, development and design
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economy/downtown-district-launches-plan-downtown-to-study-next-phase-of-development-71539?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
