Houston is known as a concrete jungle, but over the years a vast amount of work has been done to change that narrative. Buffalo Bayou, one of the city’s most precious natural resources, is a prime example of the push for green space, having been built up into a flourishing park on either side of its banks. Now, there are plans to extend it farther east.

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been leading this revitalization since its inception in 1986, gradually transforming the bayou from Shepherd Drive all the way to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. And thanks to its most recent initiative—the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan—the group is one step closer to seeing this to fruition. This plan aims to provide equitable green space for Houstonians who live in Fifth Ward and the East End, two neighborhoods that have been historically underserved. After a $100 million gift from the Kinder Foundation in 2022 to accelerate the nonprofit’s 10-year plan for the project, the ball is now rolling.

“It’s important that those neighborhoods have the same level of investment that the people in the west sector—like the Heights and Montrose—have,” says Anne Olson, president of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership since 1995.

How it started

The group first began as an initiative under Central Houston (the civic improvement association now known as Downtown Houston+) to create the Sesquicentennial Park in honor of Houston’s 150th birthday. Today, the park, which is located along Texas Avenue, features green space, a fountain, and the Seven Wonders sculpture. It was completed in two phases, the first in 1988 and the second 10 years later. Allen’s Landing, a park that commemorates Houston’s founding, was completed in 2001.

That same year, land acquisition began for what is now known and loved as Buffalo Bayou Park. In 2010, the Kinder Foundation donated $30 million for the park, specifically for the stretch between Shepherd Drive and Sabine Street. While the area did have green space and trails, it was underfunded maintenance-wise. The master plan enhanced the landscaping while also improving recreational amenities, the bayou channel, and access to nearby communities. This project also brought new details to the area such as the Johnny Steele Dog Park, public art installations, and the Water Works. The improvements were finally unveiled in 2015.

The Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan, the organization’s current project, officially launched in 2019. The full plan is expected to cost an estimated $310 million and will encompass a four-mile stretch of the bayou from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. New trail links will be constructed, existing segments will be revitalized, and the banks will be stabilized. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to extend the bayou’s system from the downtown area to Jensen Drive, which will connect to other trails that are being completed under the East River project, then eventually to Japhet Creek. Meanwhile, on the south side of the bank, the trails will extend from east of US 59 to Lockwood Drive.

A dramatic transformation

The Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan has about 15 different projects, including affordable housing that opened its first phase in July.

Olson knows what people might be thinking, “Why is a park group doing housing?” Her explanation: it’s what the people want. During a two-year period, community meetings were held to create a plan that fit the needs of Fifth Ward and East End residents. In these meetings, people in both neighborhoods repeatedly said that although they do want nice parks and trails, their communities were lacking housing.

The group partnered with Chicago-based national affordable housing developer Brinshore Development for an 80-unit multifamily apartment building to house people with a variety of incomes. This new complex, named Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou, includes amenities such as an outdoor play area, a fitness room, community spaces, and access to green spaces. The affordable housing is located along the south bank of the bayou, following Lockwood Drive. The other phases of the housing development will bring more townhomes and single-family residences to the area.

The meat of the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan is the green space, which will enhance the part of the bayou that streams out to the two communities. New trail links will ensure that the project is all connected, including 13- to 15-foot-wide multiuse trails, benches, signage, and lunar cycle lighting. One link, the Downtown Gateway Trail, will span from the east part of US 59 to Jensen Drive on the north bank, connecting to Meadows Street. Another trail project on the south bank will extend from Jensen Drive to Tony Marron Park.

One of the key parts of the plan for the south side includes Tony Marron Park’s expansion from 19 acres to nearly 40 acres. Once completed, the park will become the central hub for Buffalo Bayou East and will hold various amenities such as renovated sports fields, a boat launch ramp, a nature play area, wildflower meadows, bayou lawns, a barbecue plaza, and community event spaces. Tony Marron Park will also serve as the new home to the organization’s central maintenance facility, which is responsible for park operations and waterway cleanup.

On the north side of Buffalo Bayou sits Japhet Creek, a tributary that extends to Fifth Ward. In late August, the partnership announced that phase one of the creek's project was complete. It includes a 3.2-acre park with new trails, interpretive signage, site furnishes, and native plants. Phase two will bring two bayou-crossing pedestrian bridges: one connecting the creek to Tony Marron Park, and the other connecting the trails and Gregg Street on the north side to the south side’s trails and Velasco Street.

Olson is particularly excited about the conversion of former abandoned industrial sites into parks and cultural destinations, while still highlighting the area’s link to Houston’s history as a port city. This part of the project will repurpose Turkey Bend, a former barge terminal, into a waterfront recreational and cultural hub. Currently, the site holds a wharf, a covered warehouse, and a 50,000-square-foot building that faces Navigation Boulevard. The latter will be turned into a community-based retail and central gathering space and will house the city’s Hispanic History Research Center and Archives.

The other components include turning the wharf into an event and gathering space; a boating center with a canoe and kayak launch ramp; the transformation of Navigation Boulevard into a linear greenway; improved pedestrian and bike connections; and other improvements so the front of the warehouse building can be used for outdoor events and activities.

“We try to tell people that we’re not picking up Buffalo Bayou Park and plopping it over there,” Olson says. “[The project] is going to represent the desires and needs of that neighborhood.”

Future connections

The aim is for these projects to be completed within a 10-year timeline, but, in the future, Olson says she’d like to see even more, such as further expansion to other Houston waterways and parks.

The partnership’s jurisdiction stops at Shepherd Drive, but there have been discussions among other organizations to connect Memorial Park with Buffalo Bayou Park, so that one day Houston can become even more accessible. In September 2023, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones announced a county contribution of $8.1 million to the Houston Parks Board to help kick-start a project that will connect the two parks, a continuation of the Bayou Greenways initiative. Beth White, the parks board president and CEO, says this is one of the most important gaps in the system. Due to the lack of sidewalks and bike lanes, the two are nearly impossible to travel between without a car.

Olson says once the two parks are connected, there will be more opportunities for alternative transportation. As for right now, well, let’s get residents in the East End caught up to the rest of the loop.

Get involved this fall

With all the excitement surrounding Buffalo Bayou East, the partnership is planning three upcoming events to celebrate the progress of the project. On September 21, head on down to the opening of Japhet Creek Park for a day full of music, performances, activities, and local vendors. On October 5, join in on the ribbon-cutting ceremony and block party that will commemorate the official opening of Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou. Lastly, for a day filled with family fun, enjoy the partnership's annual fall festival on October 19 at Tony Marron Park. This event will boast performances, music, face-painting, and costume contests, while also serving as a temporary goodbye to the park before it closes to undergo construction.