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 to all stakeholders," Hahn said.

Several speakers tied the Polk proposal to Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) planning for I‑45 and said the abandonment appeared coordinated with state roadway changes they oppose. Gabriel Gallegos, who said he drives Polk daily, asked why renderings and traffic-studies had not been released to the public: "Why is this plan being shoved down our throats without our input?"

Councilmember Amanda Martinez (first reference: Councilmember Amanda Martinez) said the city has extended the public comment period on the related Public Works file and that Public Works had agreed to an extension to April 3 to allow more input. Martinez said she and her staff are working to convene additional community stakeholders, including Houston First, and to push for earlier and clearer briefings in neighborhood settings.

Councilmember Sallie Kamen (first reference: Councilmember Sallie Kamen) said offices are tracking multiple meetings and that departments including Houston Fire Department and Houston Police Department will be part of JRC review; she urged residents to submit comments to Public Works and to contact council offices for follow-up. Martinez and Kamen both said the Polk abandonment and the convention-center expansion are separate processes but that neither should proceed without better community engagement.

Speakers asked for a broad East End mobility study that would examine bus routes, pedestrian and emergency access, and the effects of closing four blocks of Polk used by Metro routes. Kyle Rogers, a neighborhood organizer, told the council the closure would jeopardize transit service used by thousands of daily riders and asked the council to delay any abandonment vote until a full mobility study is published.

City staff and council members acknowledged the gap between project announcements and neighborhood notice. Martinez said she will press Houston First and Public Works to release complete project documents and urged residents to submit comments through the extended Public Works comment period.

The council took no formal vote on abandoning Polk Street during the session. Instead, council members and staff committed to further briefings and to collecting public comments; Martinez announced the extended comment deadline and more meetings with Houston First and neighborhood groups.

Why it matters: Polk runs east–west between the East End and downtown and is used by residents, workers and transit riders. Speakers said closing the corridor without a transparent process and published transportation analysis could worsen traffic, reduce access to services and shift burdens onto historically affected neighborhoods.

What happens next: Public Works extended the formal comment period to April 3. Councilmembers said they will press for community briefings with Houston First and for production of traffic and transit analyses before any final council action on abandonment is scheduled.

"Pull. We need this street," Sarah Hirsch said at the meeting, summing up neighborhood pleas to keep Polk open.

Votes at a glance: No formal vote or ordinance adoption occurred on Polk abandonment during this session; council discussion produced an announced procedural extension of the comment period but no final decision.