John Bogna
Relatively small compared to other Houston parks like Hermann and Buffalo Bayou, developers still maintain The Acre, concept footage featured above, is something really special for downtown Houston.
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According to the Houston Chronicle, the park will have a line of lawn and wide-open plaza capable of accommodating around 1,500 people, and the space will be used for an array of events, including outdoor concerts.
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Residents agree, a little more greenery is often not a bad thing, especially in a city where the space could help mitigate air pollution and absorb storm water into the permeable ground – an ongoing conversation since Harvey.
The Acre is the capping piece of a $48.5 million renovation project by developer Brookfield.
Numerous trees were planted there among the office buildings to provide shade, as well as environmental benefits, and urban green spaces are gaining traction nationwide:
The Trust for Public Land, based in Washington D.C., built similar projects in New York, converting asphalt playgrounds into permeable landscapes; the Trust is also the company behind Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston.
To solve the problem of nourishing trees sitting on top of an underground parking structure, the 171 planted for The Acre will be fed by specifically-designed mesh planters.
Developers also scaled back the first floor of One Allen Center, making it a sort of glass box to look out onto its area and eventually house a restaurant.
“It’s almost like a give-back to the city – taking building away to create an opportunity for outdoor space,” Landscape Architect Chip Trageser said in an interview.
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The Acre will open Monday.
