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Ready, Set, Open! Celebrate the completion of Buffalo Bayou Park on June 20, 2015
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It’s spring and we are gearing up for the debut of Buffalo Bayou Park! Whether you walk, jog or bike the park or drive down Allen Parkway or Memorial Drive, you’ll see native trees, wildflowers and prairies being planted throughout the park. The walls are up on major destinations – Wortham Insurance Visitor Center and Lost Lake/The Dunlavy – and the Nature Play Area is taking shape.
Mark your calendar for Buffalo Bayou Park’s grand opening on Saturday, June 20, 2015. This daylong celebration will feature performances showcasing Houston’s diverse arts community; recreational opportunities including bike and boat rentals; children’s activities; and walking tours and talks with the park’s designers. The celebration will culminate in a spectacular illuminated procession designed in partnership with New York-based Processional Arts Workshop (PAW).
You are invited to work with the visiting artists of PAW to help develop the theme, create visuals, and participate in the site-specific procession at the Buffalo Bayou Park grand opening event. In February, BBP hosted three community meetings and gathered terrific memories, reflections, personal stories, and photos of Buffalo Bayou. Join the continuing conversation on Facebook and share with us why Buffalo Bayou is special and meaningful to you. Words and photos are much appreciated. Your stories will inspire the visual elements illuminated in the final procession!
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Left: Anthony Cardenas shared via Facebook – his jogging route. Right: Tricia Cantrell shared via Facebook – she was engaged at Buffalo Bayou Park!
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So, mark your calendar for the celebration and share with us why Buffalo Bayou is important to you!
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Buffalo Bayou Partnership sincerely thanks the many generous donors and committed partners who have joined together to make this significant civic milestone a reality. Engraving of our donor plaques and installation of donor recognition opportunities will begin over the next several months, and we will be sure to keep all of our donors updated on our progress. If you should have any questions in the meantime, or would like additional details, please contact Leigh McBurnett at lmcburnett@buffalobayou.org.
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Wortham Insurance marks centennial year with gift to Buffalo Bayou Park
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Construction of the Wortham Insurance Terrace.
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Earlier this month, crews began installing steel frames around what will be the new Wortham Insurance Visitor Center, located in The Water Works area of the park (near the Sabine Street Bridge).
The two-story, 2,736-square foot Wortham Insurance Visitor Center will include an information desk, restrooms and a bike rental facility. Additionally, the structure will be topped by the Wortham Insurance Terrace that will offer some of the best views of the park’s expansive lawns as well the Houston skyline.
To highlight the company’s centennial year, Wortham Insurance – with support from leading insurance carriers — made a $750,000 donation to Buffalo Bayou Partnership to fund this primary visitor gateway to Buffalo Bayou Park. Wortham is the largest independent insurance broker headquartered in Texas, and Wortham Chairman and BBP board member Richard M. Blades said the gift represents Wortham’s “thank you” for the opportunity to serve the Houston community for the past 100 years.
The Wortham Insurance Visitor Center is scheduled to open in summer 2015.
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Q: What are these beautiful blooming pink and white trees along the bayou?
- Janice S., park user
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A: There are two types of pink and white trees blooming in Buffalo Bayou Park.
Redbuds (cercis canadenis) are planted on the edges of reforestation areas throughout the park. They are native to Texas and offer springtime blooms of delicate pink flowers before they leaf out with new growth in the early spring. These trees typically grow between 15’ to 30’ in height.
Mexican plums (Prunus mexicanus) are also native to Texas and important sources of food for wildlife. They are planted on the edges of reforestation areas as well and offer both striking dark brown flaking bark and delicate white flowers in the early spring. Typical size for these trees is between 15’ and 25’ tall with equal spread.
According to our landscape designers, SWA Group, plantings throughout the park are close to 85% complete and on track to be finished in June 2015.
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Johnny Steele Dog Park updates – temporary closure
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Tails up, attention pups! This is a friendly reminder that the large dog area at the Johnny Steele Dog Park will be completely closed Monday and Tuesday, April 13 and 14 for sod installation and paint repairs.The large dog park area will reopen on April 15, but with limited access along the perimeter and pond. The park’s central lawn will remain fenced off until June 19 to allow for the newly planted grass to grow.
Please note that the parking spaces at the dog park will be affected during the two closure days. The small dog area will be unaffected by these developments.
For dog park hours, rules, and regulations, visit our website or check our Facebook page.
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Behind the Scenes: Processional Arts Workshop (PAW)
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One of the most anticipated aspects to be featured during the June 20 celebration will be an illuminated procession designed by New York-based Processional Arts Workshop (PAW) – an artistic organization created in 2005 whose mission is to expand and develop the art of pageant puppetry.
Led by creative visionaries Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles, PAW has worked with communities internationally to create processions, flashmobs, and mobile performances in locales ranging from the streets of Kiev to the South Bronx; from the Italian Alps to rural Texas. Best known for their giant puppet performances in New York City’s Village Halloween Parade, PAW also had a strong presence at the second phase opening of the High Line, as well as a number of annual festivals throughout the world. For a complete catalogue of their projects, visit www.processionalarts.org.
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With just two months until Buffalo Bayou Park’s completion, much is In the Works. Read on for details:
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Construction of the Hobby Family Pavilion at The Brown Foundation Lawn of The Water Works.
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- At Lost Lake, work on the upper water garden and H-E-B Cascade is proceeding, and drives for the parking lot are poured. The building structure, which will house a paddle craft rental facility, Grab and Go food service and The Dunlavy special event space, is complete. Clark Cooper Concepts, who will be operating The Dunlavy and the Grab and Go, began interior building work April 1.
- Harris County Flood Control District has been planting trees along the channel and will begin silt removal this spring.
- All park overlooks are complete, and the Nau Family Pavilion at Eleanor Tinsley Park is almost finished.
- Soil for The Brown Foundation Lawn at The Water Works has been installed.
- Work on the Cistern remains underway, with final completion expected in the fall.
- Buffalo Bayou Partnership has taken over maintenance and operations of the park between Montrose and Waugh.
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While not part of the Buffalo Bayou Park project, improvements led by the Downtown TIRZ #3 will soon be made to Allen Parkway, making it more safe and accessible. Click here to learn more about plans to add and improve crosswalk signalization, increase parking and return Allen Parkway to a more scenic drive along the park.
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