A section of Polk Street connecting Houston’s East End to downtown is slated to close Wednesday — and it’s unclear if it will ever reopen. The street is the primary thoroughfare to downtown for many eastside drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and it’s been the subject of contentious debate over the course of the year.
The city’s tourism and convention arm, Houston First Corporation, is seeking a permanent closure of the two-block section next to the George R. Brown Convention Center ahead of its $2 billion expansion in the coming years. Over the opposition of some East End community members, the Houston City Council took a step toward approving the plan in October when it passed the first of two votes as part of the abandonment process.
While the abandonment process continues ahead of a second city council vote, the street will close Wednesday to accommodate construction projects.
It’s “unclear” whether the road will reopen to vehicular traffic after the upcoming construction is complete, a Houston First spokesperson said, adding that it’s “dependent on the (abandonment) process timeline” — which includes the second, yet-to-be-scheduled city council vote.
“The work outlined is rather complicated since it includes things like relocating utilities,” the spokesperson wrote. “The best I can offer is that this work will take several months to complete.”
The work — between Chartres Street and Avenida de las Americas — includes utility line relocation as well as demolition of what was formerly the Rustic restaurant and the skybridge connecting the convention center to the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel.
Pedestrians and cyclists will regain access along the sidewalk on Nov. 28, according to Houston First. The municipal corporation encouraged motorists to take Pease Street or St. Joseph Parkway.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) did not respond to a question about impacted bus routes — the 040 Telephone/Heights and the 041 Kirby/Polk.
The potentially permanent closure to vehicles comes after months of community pushback on the plan. The opposition eventually led to a binding agreement between Houston First and the city calling for a number of mitigation measures, including the maintenance of pedestrian access and the evaluation of turning nearby Leeland Street into a two-way road.
Still, some community members felt the agreement didn’t go far enough — and called for the investment of $250 million “in infrastructure, mobility, and engagement improvements.” City council member Joaquin Martinez, who represents the area and cosigned the agreement, said it represented compromise and his “commitment to championing east-west connection to ensure connectivity.”
In June, Houston First released a study showing “no adverse impact” on traffic patterns, with average vehicular commutes increasing by about 2 minutes. Lisa Hunt, an organizer with People for Polk, said the upcoming closure will test the results of the study.
“We suspect that the closure that they’re doing this week is going to reveal the inadequacy of Houston First’s traffic plan and the critical status of Polk Street as a thoroughfare,” Hunt said.
Hunt said she hopes members of the city council, Mayor John Whitmire and Houston First CEO Michael Heckman attempt to drive through rush hour in the area during the upcoming closure.
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