Big Changes Could be Coming to Dowtown Convention Center
Houston may be getting more than a Super Bowl by the time 2017 comes around.
Representatives of Houston First Corp. are proposing to transform the George R. Brown Convention Center and adjacent Discovery Green into a landscaped and more pedestrian-friendly city center, with more retail and less car traffic.
The renovation would bring more restaurants and a coffeehouse to the area and significantly curtail the street in front of the convention center to create a larger walkable area.
It would be the area's biggest makeover since Discovery Green opened five years ago and leave its mark on the eastern edge of downtown long after the Super Bowl LI teams and their fans have departed for home.
The project would be completed in spring 2016. It would be funded entirely by Houston First, said Ric Campo, who chairs the quasi-governmental agency that manages the convention center and other city-owned buildings in the area. He also is chairman of the Super Bowl 2017 host committee.
The street in front of the convention center, Avenida de las Americas, would go to about three lanes, from eight, and all lanes would close for special events. The eliminated lanes would be transformed into a landscaped pedestrian area with a row of trees and tables for sidewalk dining.
On the block north of the convention center would be a 2,000-car parking garage and office space. Above it, a pad site would be built for a future hotel.
The redesigned convention center would get a front entrance offering more transparency including panoramic views of downtown, said Marie Hoke, principal at WHR Architects, the project's lead architect.
Houston First initiated the proposal.
Campo said the project is still in the concept stage and no price tag has been determined. He said the Houston First board of directors has sole authority to approve or reject the project.
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