Rebirth of Jones Plaza is on the horizon
Theater District welcomes plan to transform site
Jones Plaza, the oftenempty, 1.5-acre public space at the heart of Houston’s Theater District, finally might become a true people magnet courtesy of the second face-lift in its 51-year history.
This time, Houston First Corporation, which operates the plaza for the city, hopes to create an event and dining area that reflects the artful vitality of the plaza’s prime location — a place that will be welcoming day and night for area employees as well as theater patrons and downtown residents.
Houston First announced Tuesday that it has retained the Los Angeles design firm Rios Clementi Hale Studios to lead the transformation project.
The redevelopment plan is the result of a partnership between the City of Houston, HFC and the Downtown Redevelopment Authority. In addition to a $5 million commitment by Bob Eury on behalf of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority, the team is joined by Jim and Whitney Crane and the 2017 World Champion Astros’ Foundation to lead a $20 million fundraising campaign, of which he has committed $1 million.
With construction slated to begin next month, the project could be complete by late 2020.
Mayor Sylvester Turner called the plaza project a “game-changer” for downtown.
A major initiative of the Theater District Master Plan adopted in 2015, this redevelopment finally may solve a conundrum that has dogged the plaza since it opened in 1967, in spite of its location next to the Alley Theatre and Jones Hall. Jones Plaza has long been like a forgotten ornament in the city’s jewel box because it was built above the district’s parking garage. Its stepped plaza design, necessary to accommodate the structure below, made access difficult for some. And it’s always been a hard place to beautify with shade trees and plants, since there’s not much soil to work with.
The site was best utilized from the late 1980s through the 1990s as the venue for Thursday night Party on the Plaza concerts that were not a particularly good fit for the surrounding fine arts venues. The Party on the Plaza brand has since been revived and relocated to Avenida Houston in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The first attempt to revitalize the 1.5-acre plaza bounded by Smith, Louisiana, Texas and Capital streets happened 17 years ago.
The place seemed so unappealing then that during talks of 2001’s $6.5 million rebirth, the head of a major local charitable foundation compared the area to “a men’s room at a bus station.” The joke stuck, and the plaza was derided as “Jordy’s Toilet,” a reference to Jordy Tollett, then the director of the city’s Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department, which spearheaded the project.
“That’s disgusting,” Tollett said at the time, referring to the nickname. “But I think it will accomplish its goal, so whatever they want to call it is fine with me.”
That face-lift made the plaza prettier, but the addition of cool blue mosaic tile walls essentially turned another cold shoulder to passers-by.
Mayor Turner said the 21st century redevelopment will achieve for downtown’s west end what Discovery Green, with its diverse performances and public art, has done for the east side of the city’s core.
Along with a wide open lawn and shade trees, the redesign features a two-story, indoor-outdoor dining space that will include a fast-casual dining counter and seated casual service for breakfast and lunch as well as pre-theater dinner and post-theater desserts and drinks.
“That’s a significant piece we’ve been missing,” said Theater District CEO Kathryn McNiel, one of the area stakeholders who helped to select the project designer.
“You don’t want Discovery Green 2. You want a plaza that reflects this side of downtown.”
She said Rios Clemente’s proposal stood out from among five finalists for a number of reasons, including its good use of green space, its restaurant concept, its inviting plaza entrances on all four sides and smart engineering to accommodate shade trees and greenery.
“It’s a tricky design when you’ve got this parking garage underneath,” McNiel said.
She is thrilled by Crane’s involvement, which she said symbolizes that downtown’s two ends are becoming cohesive.
The plaza project also comes as welcome news for the resident companies of the theater district, which was dealt a devastating blow by Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters in August. The opera and ballet, in particular, have scrambled to relocate performances ever since and are hoping to be back in the Wortham Theater Center this fall.
McNiel said Harvey’s devastation has also made fund-raising more of a challenge, as donors are spread thin; another reason she appreciates Crane’s pledge.
David Mincberg, Houston First’s board chairman, said, “Jones Plaza’s redevelopment will transform the space into the focal point of the Theater District as it was always intended. We look forward to redeveloping this area into a welcoming venue of its own that ignites excitement among Houstonians.”