Houston gets a lot of heat for being unfriendly to pedestrians. While Downtown, Houston, is one of the few walkable places in the city, the new $12 million redevelopment project on Main Street in Houston will make seven blocks of Downtown a lot more walkable.
The development of Main Street Promenade in Houston is a project from the Downtown Houston organization. Conceived initially as a way to support local establishments during the pandemic, the idea was approved by the Houston City Council in March 2023 under the then-named “More Space: Main Street 2.0” – which included the area from Commerce to Rusk. The project’s final form, called Main Street Promenade, will include the four blocks from Allen’s Landing to Dallas Street.
Construction on the project will begin this coming May with a slated completion date before June 2026 when the World Cup comes to Houston.
The Main Street Promenade will span eleven blocks encompassing the area between Commerce and Rusk transforming the area into a car-free zone for pedestrians added to the existing pedestrian blocks between Dallas and Walker St.. The walkway will also feature greenery – including a 150% increase of tree count – patios, and retail. Additional features to come to the area include blue and white tile street markers and a blue-and-white ground mural off the Preston Street rail stop.
“The theme on Main Street is going to be outdoor cafes to start, and so we really want to create a vibrant, happening retail environment,” said Cassie Hoeprich, director of planning at Downtown Houston.
In an attempt to bolster the outdoor vibe of the area, Downtown Houston is offering up to $50,000 in grants to area businesses to incorporate patios and/or renovate their storefronts.
“Downtown now has more (leisure) visitors than employees. You have the Rockets games, you have theater and all these reasons for people to come downtown, but there is no go-to place to start your journey,” said CEO of Downtown Houston, Kris Larson.
See also: 15 fantastic things to do in Downtown, Houston