Plan Downtown

Over the past thirteen years, the Downtown District, has completely changed downtown Houston and over the next nineteen years, they plan to do it again.

The Downtown District’s “Plan Downtown” has been released and it will completely change Downtown Houston. The most significant change, will be done in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and it will completely rejuvenate the Downtown Loop. I-45 and the Pierce Elevated, which currently run across the west and south side of Downtown, will be re-routed to combine with I-10 & I-69 on the North and East sides of Downtown. Also, the East side of the Downtown Loop, which will then be a combination of I-45 & I-69, will be buried underground, with a park above it. In fact, the west & south sides of the downtown loop, will also be replaced with parks, instead of I-45 and the Pierce Elevated. This rerouting of the Downtown Loop will also include flood improvements. Which was added to the plan before Harvey hit Houston.

Since it has been founded, the Downtown District has doubled Downtown’s population from 3,800 to 7,500 and Downtown hotel rooms from 1,200 to 8,300. By 2036, officials plan to increase Downtown’s population to 30,000.

The Downtown district also plans to bring in Public Elementary & High Schools, along with student housing for students of University of Houston, Rice University & Texas Southern University, all of which have access downtown via light rail. Plan Downtown is exciting news from an organization which has been very successful, the Downtown District.