84 °F- Mayor Sylvester Turner, city council members and Jim and Whitney Crane unveil renderings for the new Jones Plaza (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- Currently, Jones Plaza is mostly concrete with some sun covers. (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during the ceremony unveiling plans for the redevelopment of Jones Plaza on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- Bob Eury, executive director for the Downtown District, speaks during the ceremony unveiling plans for the redevelopment of Jones Plaza on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- Officials pose for a photo behind a model of the redesigned Jones Plaza (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- Rendering of the new Jones Plaza (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Houston First)
- Rendering of the new Jones Plaza (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Houston First)
- Rendering of the new Jones Plaza (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Houston First)
Jones Plaza will breathe new life into Houston's Theater District.
At least that's what officials from the City and Houston First envision for the square's newest redevelopment.
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Jones Plaza is nestled in the heart of Houston's Theater District and connects the Alley Theatre, Jones Hall and Bayou Place with the AMC movie theater.
Currently it's a concrete square with a stage and some sun covers, and Houston First board chair David Mincberg said it has been underused.
"Between the underutilization, the accessibility and the desire of our partners on this side of town, particularly City Hall and the Theater District folks, there was a real need to reimagine Jones Plaza," he said.
The redeveloped plaza will have green space, places to sit down and a restaurant.
It will also provide an opportunity to highlight the surrounding performance halls.
"So when they're doing productions, we can feature those," Mincberg said. "We have small plays going on at the same time and we can really take advantage of that."
The construction will cost an estimated $25 million, with the Downtown Redevelopment Authority contributing $5 million and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane and his wife Whitney leading a fundraising effort for the remaining $20 million, including $1 million out of their own pockets.
"I believe what Discovery Green has done for the east side of downtown, with its great diversity of performances and public art, the redesign of Jones Plaza will do for the Theater District and the west side of downtown," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. "It will be a game changer."
Groundbreaking is slated for next year with an estimated completion around Thanksgiving of 2020.
This is really the beginning of what's ahead for the heart of Houston and beyond... as our great city continues to be welcoming and to reimagine and reinvent itself with more inclusion- -responding to both challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing world. #JonesPlaza pic.twitter.com/ILMm7rzql4
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) April 24, 2018