Debates Bloom Over New Botanic Garden
New renderings of the Houston Botanic Garden show a lush green space full of whimsically designed buildings and futuristic bridges. But for some neighborhoods around the old Glenbrook gold course, the new garden is more thorns than roses.
Plans for the Houston Botanic Garden are underway. A proposal by Dutch landscape design firm West 8 has been approved by the mayor, and new renderings have recently made their way online.
Jeff Ross, president of the Houston Botanic Garden, tells us the 120-acre project will be off I-45 between Hobby Airport and the University of Houston. Visitors would arrive from Park Place Boulevard, the only non-residential street with access to the Garden. That four-lane road would be transformed to a shady, tree-lined street. The main drag, called the Botanic Mile, would lead to the parking areas and cross Sims Bayou with a bridge that developers hope will become a landmark for the city.
The overall design strives to be respectful of the design of the existing site and is sensitive to Houston’s environmental challenges like flooding and intense weather events. The designers will use the bayous as natural boundaries and divide the garden into two main precincts: South Garden and the Island. South Garden will feature an open lawn, where visitors can picnic or stroll, and will also support community events like concerts.
The Island will be dominated by gardens, both wild and cultivated, and will host educational and research facilities.
Connecting the two areas will be the Botanic Bridge. It'll be topped with trees and overlook the Bayou Meander, which patrons will be able to navigate through on small water crafts.
Houston has a great arboretum and nature center at Memorial Park, but nothing like this, Jeff says. In a city that boasts a ballet, museums, five-star hotels and restaurants, the Botanic Garden is meant to solidify Houston's reputation as a true tourist destination.
Additionally, the garden is meant to be both a thing of beauty and substance: an oasis in the bustling city and a temple of research and learning.
Jeff says that as public schools are cutting back, the Botanic Garden wants to be able to work with school districts to provide botany education to supplement their science curriculum.
The garden may sound as idyllic as a Monet painting, but some of neighbors are not swept away by the designers’ vision. Established in 1924, Glenbrook is the second oldest golf course in Houston.It was bought by the city and allowed to fall into benign neglect. The surrounding lower-income and ethnically diverse neighborhoods began to use the golf course as a community park. In a place that has less green space per capita than other parts of Houston, its loss is acutely felt.
Jeff understands some people aren’t happy the Botanic Garden will change their neighborhood. He says the Botanic Garden organization has had consistent and continued outreach to people in the community and is responding to suggestions. When some expressed desire for hike and bike trails that cut through the park, Garden leadership entered into dialogue about the possibility and is exploring ways to design trails around the perimeter.
In spite of the flares of controversy, the Botanic Garden has overwhelming support, Jeff says.
The Botanic Garden must meet a $20M fundraising milestone at the end of 2017 to take control of the property. A capital campaign is ongoing.
According to the plan, the garden will have a one-time economic impact of about $93.4M. Once open, operations and tourism will contribute $19.6M to $24.4M to Houston’s economy annually, depending on attendance.
Developers expect to work on design tasks until 2018 before starting construction.
