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Residents ask council to pursue community benefits agreement over George R. Brown expansion and street abandonments
Summary
People for Polk Street and several Super Neighborhoods urged council to negotiate a community benefits agreement tied to the planned expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center, citing potential mobility impacts from proposed permanent street abandonments downtown.
Lisa Hunt, a resident of the East End and leader with People for Polk Street, told the council she and leaders from Super Neighborhoods 63, 64, 65, 67, 68 and 82 want a community benefits agreement (CBA) with the city and Houston First as the George R. Brown Convention Center expansion advances.
Hunt said the current project iteration would require closure and permanent abandonment of seven downtown streets and could create short- and long-term mobility challenges for nearby neighborhoods. The proposed CBA, she said, would seek temporary mitigation measures for immediate relief and permanent infrastructure solutions for long-term sustainability.
“We’ve joined together … to offer a proposed community benefits agreement between the neighborhood groups, the city of Houston, and Houston First for the benefit of all Houstonians,” Hunt said during the public-comment period. She asked council members to meet with community leaders to discuss mitigation and infrastructure options if the abandonment proceeds.
Council staff did not record formal direction or a vote on the proposal during public comment. The request appears to be an initial public appeal from neighborhood groups to be included in planning conversations as Houston First moves forward with convention center expansion plans.
