HOUSTON — Officials and supporters of Miller Outdoor Theater marked the start of construction on the theater's Gateway Plaza at a ceremonial groundbreaking in Hermann Park.

Tim Cisneros, chair of the Miller Theater Advisory Board, opened the event by celebrating the theater's long history and the board's capital campaign. “Today, we add another chapter to making Miller Outdoor Theater one of Houston's most unique and wonderful experiences,” Cisneros said.

The project, described by Claudia De Vasco, managing director of the Miller Theater Advisory Board, is the first phase of a centennial capital campaign intended to improve how audiences arrive and move through the theater grounds. De Vasco said the plaza will feature rebuilt, accessible pathways and three sculptural shade structures the project team calls “the birds.” “This is your arts home,” De Vasco said, describing the plaza's role in making Miller welcoming to families, students, artists and visitors.

Design partners named for the project include Aaron Forbes and Emily Moore of DLR Group and Jack Oley with MVVA. De Vasco said the team began by documenting site problems — flooding after light rain, narrow paths, and obstacles for strollers and people with mobility needs — and designed the plaza to address those issues while preserving Miller's iconic character.

The advisory board identified lead funders for the Gateway Plaza as the Tingsung and Wei Fang Chow Foundation, the Brown Foundation and the Houston Endowment, with additional support from the Fondren Foundation, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, the Wortham Foundation, the Elkins Foundation, the George and Mary Josephine Hammond Foundation, Edward and Helen Oppenheimer Foundation, the Albert and Ethel Herstein Charitable Foundation and the Clayton Fund, along with many individual donors. De Vasco said the Tingsung and Wei Fang Chow Foundation secured naming rights for the plaza.

Mayor John Whitmire, who spoke at the ceremony, framed the project as part of Houston’s broader civic and cultural investments and urged that all communities feel invited to the theater. “Let's just make sure all communities are included in this wonderful experience,” he said, adding that regional visitors will also be a consideration as the city prepares for major events.

Construction will begin immediately and is expected to continue through 2026, timed to welcome an increase in visitors for upcoming regional events, including FIFA-related travel, organizers said. Hermann Park Conservancy will manage the project with support from Houston First and the city’s parks department, organizers added.

De Vasco listed further improvements planned later in the campaign, including upgraded seating, canopy work, and hill- and accessibility-focused renovations, and invited people to support the campaign through donations and sponsorships such as commemorative pavers.

The ceremony closed with board leadership, elected officials and the design team turning the first shovels in a symbolic start to construction. No formal board vote or city ordinance was announced at the event; organizers said a proclamation related to the project would be presented at City Hall.