EAST END, Texas – The Buffalo Bayou partnership received a $100 million grant from the Kinder Foundation for a major expansion of Buffalo Bayou Park.
The massive 10-year, $310 million project will connect downtown to the east-end community.
“This is a four-way partnership, and we think that it is pretty darn important,” Rich Kinder said.
Kinder and his Kinder Foundation are responsible for $100 million of what’s being called Buffalo Bayou East.
“We believe this transformation is going to revitalize this whole part of Houston,” he said.
The rest of the money is coming from public and private partnerships, $84.5 million is from the city of Houston, $24 million from Harris County and $14 million in federal housing credits.
The Buffalo Bayou Partnership plans to raise the rest.
“With the new trails and parks that we’re building, they’ll be able to explore the bayou all the way to the east end,” Anne Olsen, President of Buffalo Bayou Partnership, said.
There’s also an affordable housing project, Tony Marron Park will double in size to 40 acres. Several infrastructure improvement plans and Japhet Creek will connect downtown using the bayou trail.
“I ride my bike all the time,” Julie said. “I want to take some peaceful walks, and when my family comes to visit, I want to take them there and show them around.”
Stakeholders say a key objective is preserving culture and traditions.
A 50,000 square ft warehouse on Navigation Blvd. will house the city’s Hispanic History Research Center and archives.
BBP said they reached out to more than 50,000 community members.
“We don’t want to forget about the history of this neighborhood, that’s really important,” Julie said.
In 2010, the Kinder Foundation donated $30 million to improve the 160-acre, 2.3-mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou Park.