Bayou abuzz as park work continues

Visitors applaud addition of lights, asphalt trails and bridges through $58 million renovation project

As crews renovate Buffalo Bayou Park, part of the green space is already open for business — and much more will be soon.

The portion of the 158acre park on the north side of Buffalo Bayou between Sabine and Montrose was recently completed. The section between Montrose and Shepherd is still under construction, said Anne Olson, president of the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership, which manages parko perations.

The south side will be finished by July, Olson said.

“It’s moving right on schedule,” Olson said. “As different parts of the park are completed, they’re turned over to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership to maintain and operate.”

The entire $58 million renovation project is slated for completion by next June.

Users have applauded the installation of additional lights in the park and separation of bicycle and jogging trails.

Michael Merlino, owner and head coach of In Flight Running, said the marathon runners he trains appreciate the separate trails.

“Originally, we thought they were just going to have concrete, and a lot of runners didn’t like that,” he said. “Then, they went in and put in asphalt, and the runners were just ecstatic.”

The project, funded through a partnership of the city of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District, is revitalizing a common space for outdoor play used by areas including Memorial Park, River Oaks, Montrose, Rice Military and downtown.

Olson said the recent addition of pedestrian bridges makes the space more accessible.

One bridge is at Shepherd Drive and Allen Parkway. Another, the Jackson Hill Bridge, was expanded to cross Buffalo Bayou and connect to trails along Allen Parkway.

A third bridge, next to the Houston Police Officers’ Memorial at 1400Memorial Drive, is slated for completion in the fall.

Eleanor Tinsley Park, a hot spot for festivals and events in the park, will gain a garden and parking lot by the end of July.

The addition of newand upgraded paths is continuing throughout the park, including a series of asphalt trails.

Crews are also working on a dog park, scheduled for completion in December 2015 near Studemont and Allen Parkway. Olson said there will be pavilions and two ponds for pets that want to cool off.

A playground under construction will feature climbing areas and a slide on ahill when it is completed in fall 2015.

More trees and native plants are being planted.

“When all is said and done, there will be about 14,000 more trees,” Olson said.

The park will also gain 11 acres of prairie landscaping .

Two visitor centers are in the works as well. One will be located on the banks of “Lost Lake,” a pond that had disappeared after a dam built across a ravine failed in the 1970s.

The water feature is being restored, and piers recently were installed for the lakeside building, Olson said.

Once completed, the center will offer kayak and canoe rentals. The Lost Lake work is scheduled for completion next spring.

Olson said perennial gardens will also be planted at Lost Lake, thanks to the Garden Club of Houston. The group donated $250,000 to the project last year.

A wetland garden area is planned that will feature a cascade into the lake.

Flora will include a variety of sweet gum, magnolia, redbud, sweet bay and bald cypress canopy trees, as well as various shrubs including Florida anise and coralberry. The garden will also feature wetland plants like Louisiana iris, water lily, arrowhead and green arrow alum.

Lost Lake will provide 80 to 90 parking spaces for Buffalo Bayou Park visitors, using an existing right-of-way for Dunlavy Street.

This lot will be designed using green principles, including porous paving, natural drainage, shade trees and unobtrusive lighting.

Another rental facility for kayaks, canoes and bikes will be in the International Coffee Building, now called “the Waterworks.”

The center will also house partnership offices, a rooftop terrace and an outdoor plaza. The Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain is also being renovated as part of the park project.

Olson added that new lighting for the park has an unusual twist.

“The lights go from blue to white in conjunction with phases of the moon,” she said.

The only place where there will be no blue light is near the bridge on Waugh, which is home to a bat colony.

“We’ve worked hard to accommodate the bats,” Olson said.

“And they don’t like blue lighting.”

Olson said fundraising for the project is ongoing.

“Wehave about $150,000 more to go,” she said. “People can have a buy-in in the park.”

She said that naming rights for benches, light fixtures and pieces of prairie are still available.

Olson said she has already noticed an uptick in park use.

“There are so many peo- ple out here, and they’re all different ages, speaking all different languages,” she said. “It’s gratifying to see how-excited about the park people in the community are.”

Rico Torres serves as president of Bayou City Adventures, which offers bike, kayak and paddle board rentals, as well as guided tours.

“Our bicycle tour is a great way to see firsthand how the bayou is transforming,” he said.

Torres said that the park updates have benefited his business.

“Construction is ongoing, but we like to look toward the future,” he said.

“This is going to be good for the entire community. It’s all coming together, and we go out there pretty much every weekend.”