Project Spotlight: Economic and Community Development
Memorial Park Land Bridge and Eastern Glades
Nearly twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, Memorial Park is Houston’s 1,500-acre urban wilderness. Its nationally acclaimed Seymour Lieberman Trail welcomes more than 10,000 runners daily, including professional athletes and local residents.
Scale
1,500 acres, nearly 2X the size of New York City’s Central Park
Public Use
Welcomes more than 10,000 runners daily, including professional athletes and local residents.
Green Space
100 acres of parkland, expanded amenities, enhanced flood mitigation, a five-acre lake and wetlands, and the unification of the park’s north and south sides via a land bridge over Memorial Drive.
Funding Framework
Uptown TIRZ expansion in 2013, extended through 2040
The Challenge
100 acres of the park's Eastern Glades lacked public access, and Memorial Drive divided the park, creating safety risks and fragmenting wildlife habitat. Reconnecting the park and restoring natural systems would require complex coordination among multiple stakeholders and a sustainable funding framework.
The Solution
In 2013, the City of Houston expanded the Uptown TIRZ boundaries to include Memorial Park and extended its term to 2040, creating the financial foundation for major park improvements.
The Eastern Glades project reclaimed 100 acres of neglected parkland, expanded amenities, and created a five-acre lake and wetlands, while the Land Bridge and Prairie project restored native prairie and savanna, enhanced flood mitigation, and reunited the park’s north and south sides with a land bridge over Memorial Drive.
ABHR’s Role
Serving as General Counsel and Bond Counsel to both the Uptown District and the Uptown Development Authority, ABHR structured the legal and financial frameworks enabling the Uptown Development Authority (managing the TIRZ and working alongside the City of Houston) to issue bonds, let contracts, and manage funding to deliver landmark public improvements.