The Sylvan Beach Pavilion, a dancehall and conference hall on Harris County’s only public beach — with a 10,000-sq.-ft. glass-walled ballroom overlooking Galveston Bay — has been boarded up since its pummeling by Hurricane Ike in 2008. But thanks to a $3.6 million grant awarded last fall by the state Dept. of Rural Affairs, the modern building at Sylvan Beach Park is now headed for restoration to its original 1956 glory (above) — with a few tweaks directed by the architects at Kirksey to gussy it up for weddings, quinceañeras, local meetings, retirement parties, and other La Porte events. Construction is scheduled to start early next year and take 9 months.
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- Community input invited on Sylvan Beach Pavilion restoration [Houston Politics]
- Save the Sylvan Beach Pavilion [Save the Pavilion]
- Sylvan Beach Pavilion [OffCite]
Photos: Save the Pavilion (1956); Derek Brotherton (2010)
Awesome news! I live in Pasadena and had taken my kid to Sylvan Beach Park numerous times. I personally have never been to the Pavilion itself, but if my memory is correct my sister attended a function there when we were in high school. It will be nice to have a venue like this close to the bay and close to home.
er…have taken. Request for an edit button most humbly submitted.
Hanabi-chan:
Just hit the reset button @ the top left corner next time!!!!
Gosh, that’s a great deal – only $400 per family living in LaPorte! Hopefully they will get it fixed up before the next hurricane.
If it gets trashed by another hurricane, they will spend even more to rebuild it stronger the next time.
What a waste.
I just read the link to the Houston Chronicle story. Apparently:
“The budget doesn’t allow wholesale structural changes, so work will mainly consist of repairing aesthetics.”
Seriously?
Sylvan Beach Park has finally developed into a nice destination, with its sandy beaches and fishing pier. Any investment in restoring the Pavilion to its former glory is definitely worthwhile. (A much better investment than saving the old Astrodome, imho…we can actually use this facility!)
WHEN WILL IT BE READY TO BOOK?
I WOULD LIKE THIS VENUE FOR MY DAUGHTES QUINCEANERA…WHEN WILL IT BE READY?
I wanted to haw my graduation party there next year.May I know when it’s gana be open:)
Does anyone know when it will be re opened? I would like to look into it for my wedding
According to this article it should be open in August or September this year.I for one am super excited.
http://www.chron.com/bayarea/news/article/Restoration-continues-on-Sylvan-Beach-Pavilion-4554320.php#photo-4696714
I have really fond memories of this old place and I think about it every time I happen to hear a big band play regular dance music (i.e. Where or When, Moonlight Serenade), those great songs of long ago. Needless to say, these sounds do not happen very often anymore.
I went there to two proms from my High school, John H. Reagan in the Houston Heights. My own in 1958 and my wife’s in 1960. The guys wore white coat tuxedos and the girls wore their prom dresses. No doubt we had pink carnations.
Sweet times.