HOUSTON DOWNTOWN PARK CONSERVANCY PREVIEWS PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPTS WITH MAYOR WHITE Public Meetings Scheduled
Conservancy Achieves Fundraising Milestone
October 12, 2005 -- Today, the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy shared preliminary design ideas for Houston's new downtown park with Mayor Bill White. The preliminary design concepts were prepared using public feedback received earlier this year outlining features that Houstonians felt would enhance our city. In addition to previewing these preliminary ideas with Mayor White, the design team of Hargreaves Associates, PageSoutherlandPage and Lauren Griffith Associates will present the design ideas at two public meetings in October and November. The design process began in July 2005 and will proceed over the next eight months. During this time, the design team will continue to incorporate feedback from downtown constituents and the public.
Nancy Kinder, Chair of the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy, also advised Mayor White that the Conservancy had accomplished its initial goal of raising $40 million for construction and design. The Park Conservancy will carry on its fundraising efforts throughout the project.
"We are very pleased to preview the preliminary design ideas with Mayor White," stated Nancy Kinder. "Our process allows us to get input from Houstonians from all walks of life. Through public meetings tonight and in the upcoming weeks, there will be several opportunities for the public to review the design team's ideas and provide input."
"I am thrilled with the progress that the Houston Downtown Conservancy is making," states Mayor White. "The design process is well underway and the ideas I saw today were exciting. I'm also very pleased to learn that the Conservancy has already achieved a major fundraising milestone."
The next milestone in the design process will come in late 2005 when the schematic design will be submitted by the Conservancy to Mayor White. The project is expected to go to bid during the summer of 2006 with construction starting in late summer of 2006. The new downtown park is scheduled to open in fall of 2007.
Houstonians are invited to review the preliminary design concepts at two public meetings. The first meeting will be held October 12 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Americas Houston Hotel, 1600 Lamar, Room 339. The second meeting is scheduled for November 2. More information about the public meeting schedule and the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy is available at www.houstondowntownpark.org.
The Houston Downtown Park Conservancy The Houston Downtown Park Conservancy is a private non-profit corporation formed to purchase the land, design, build, and maintain an urban park on property located across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. The Houston Downtown Park Conservancy and Mayor Bill White announced the almost 12-acre park development in October 2004, and acquisition of the land was concluded in December, 2004. Park completion is anticipated for Fall 2007. The Conservancy Board includes Nancy G. Kinder, Kinder Foundation, Chair; Dr. Maconda B. O'Connor, The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Brady F. Carruth, The Wortham Foundation, Inc.; and Jacqueline S. Martin, Community Partner. Sheryl Johns, representing Houston Endowment Inc., serves as an officer of the Conservancy.
For more information: Contact Claudia Morlan or Jennie Kasavich / Elmore Public Relations / 713.524.0661 / claudia@elmorepr.com
October 12, 2005 -- Today, the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy shared preliminary design ideas for Houston's new downtown park with Mayor Bill White. The preliminary design concepts were prepared using public feedback received earlier this year outlining features that Houstonians felt would enhance our city. In addition to previewing these preliminary ideas with Mayor White, the design team of Hargreaves Associates, PageSoutherlandPage and Lauren Griffith Associates will present the design ideas at two public meetings in October and November. The design process began in July 2005 and will proceed over the next eight months. During this time, the design team will continue to incorporate feedback from downtown constituents and the public. 