HOUSTON – Memorial Park Conservancy and project partners at Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Kinder Foundation and the Uptown Development Authority are unveiling the new Clay Family Eastern Glades at Memorial Park, and there are 100 acres of open space for relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation. We got a special tour, and it’s gorgeous!
Located just north of memorial drive, between Memorial Park Golf Course and Crestwood drive, the Eastern Glades offer more trails and boardwalks to enjoy, more restrooms, more parking, and honors the park’s military history.
Shellye Arnold, President and CEO of Memorial Park Conservancy joined Lauren Kelly to chat about the project’s key features and amenities, and here’s what visitors can expect:
-100 acres of open space for relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation
-5 ½-acre Hines Lake and wetlands with beautiful sunset views
-3 pavilions and 4 picnic areas
-2 ½ miles of new trails explore, including boardwalks along the lake and wetlands
-5 ½-acre central lawn for passive recreation such as strolling, picnicking, and relaxing
-Live oak court for concessions and events
-Over 50 unique quotes from Houstonians about how memorial park inspires them, selected by Madison Petaway, the 2020 Houston Youth Poet Laureate
-Additional parking, dark sky lighting, water fountains for people and pups, benches, and bike racks
-Over 150 native species add biodiversity and wildlife habitat to the park
-Nearly 40 acres of restored habitat
-An additional 550 new native trees
-Rain gardens and bioswales receive runoff from roofs and parking lots, slowing and purifying stormwater
-The edge of Hines Lake supports 1½ acres of emergent wetlands
-The wetlands plants provide healthy habitat and also clean the stormwater that flows through Hines Lake on its way to Memorial Park’s largest tributary leading into Buffalo Bayou
For more information in the new Clay Family Eastern Glades at Memorial Park, check out their website.