The grant to Memorial Park is evidence of the Kinder Foundation’s belief that a transformational gift can be the catalyst for additional public-private partnership and funding.
The partnership includes: a commitment of this lead gift toward $125 million in funding to be raised by the conservancy; $50 million investment by Uptown Development Authority for infrastructure improvements; and leverages the potential for $30 million in federal support.
The foundation’s grant supports connectivity to and within the park including a land bridge over Memorial Drive; destination projects Eastern Glades, Memorial Groves, and the Running Complex; and ecological restoration. Other plan additions include a trail/bridge system north over I-10, linking the White Oak Bayou Greenway trail system, and south over Buffalo Bayou; a 1.5-mile accessibility trail through the 600-acre wilderness, and other trails and crossings. See the full Memorial Park Master Plan approved by Houston City Council in 2015.
In January 2019, Houston City Council voted to approve plans to renovate Memorial Park’s golf course through private funding from the Astros Golf Foundation. Kinder Foundation, Memorial Park Conservancy, and the City of Houston are working collaboratively with the group to welcome the Houston Open to Memorial Park in 2020.
memorialparkconservancy.orgNews & Press
- Uptown Houston President John Breeding talks transit, infrastructure and the pedestrian experience —Houston Chronicle
- Memorial Park masterminds reveal new timeline for game-changing master plan —CultureMap Houston
- Conservation, Recreation A Balancing Act For Memorial Park Renewal In Houston —Forbes
- Record crowds attend Memorial Park Conservancy’s “Picnic for the Park” at the Forest Club —Houston Chronicle
- New Memorial Park Master Plan Gets a Forest Club Boost —PaperCity
- Opinion: Landscape architecture in 2018 provided a bold vision for our shared built environment —Dezeen.com
- Reviving Memorial Park from the ground up —Houston Chronicle
- The Greening of Houston: Q&A with Park Visionary Guy Hagstette —Realty News Report
- What to expect on the new walking path in Houston’s Memorial Park —Houston Chronicle
- Memorial Park opens trail extension, making it an even 3-mile loop; showcases amenities —KPRC Channel 2
- Memorial Park makeover means 150 new parking spaces, updated trail, and more perks —CultureMap
- Zombie trees invade Houston landscapes —Houston Chronicle
- Houston Is A Tech City, Just Different Than Austin, Dallas —BisNow.com
- To build a Trinity Park, Dallas should learn from Houston’s Buffalo Bayou —The Dallas Morning News
- Houston Arboretum’s new savanna trail opens Friday —Houston Chronicle
- A green gift —Houston Chronicle