Residents urge council to pause Polk Street abandonment, demand fuller public review of GRB expansion

Hundreds of Houston residents told the City Council that a proposed abandonment of Polk Street to allow expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center should be paused until the city releases full plans and completes broader community outreach.

Residents and neighborhood leaders said the Joint Referral Committee (JRC) process and related notice were insufficient. "We cannot rush this decision on the abandonment of Polk," said Sarah Hirsch, a nearby resident and frequent public-comment speaker, adding that Polk is a critical east–west connector used by emergency responders, people with mobility challenges and nearby residents for daily trips.

The concern was echoed across speakers from the East End, Eastwood and Fifth Ward. Lisa Hahn, a resident of Eastwood, said the city and Houston First’s 2011 GRB master plan repeatedly showed Polk Street remaining open and warned that transferring control to the convention center could sever neighborhood connections and reduce transit access. "This council should deny this request until a comprehensive transportation plan is presented…