Signs are now up along the feeder road of the East Fwy. near Gregg St., a reader tells Swamplot, announcing an impending construction project on the site where last year demolition crews removed 63 units belonging to the Kelly Village Apartments that had been left to decay after sustaining damage from Hurricane Ike. Scheduled to go up soon in its place is the $800,000 freeway-side park illustrated above, which was announced last year. The 3-acre site near the confluence of I-10 and Hwy. 59 will include a playground, jogging and walking trails, exercise spots, and a community garden.
- Previously on Swamplot:Â Mom’s Letter Leads City To Raze Derelict Fifth Ward Housing
Rendering: Houston Housing Authority
A Park at Kelly Village
In the next two weeks its a 75% chance that the same people against the demo of Wheatly will be pushing to make this park into low income housing. Somehow a well intentioned safe park will be used as political ammunition for a 5th ward wanna-be politician.
Don’t most parks in the hood end up being a haven for drug sales and prostitution at night? Why waste money on a community that won’t appreciate it (and probably doesn’t have enough tax base to have paid for it)?
Fantastic! With so many empty lots in the 5th Ward the city ought to be taking advantage and buying land for even more parks before this area really gets going on redevelopment. This area could use several nice block size neighborhood parks.
Yay… a place for bums to congregate.
I have to admit i had the same reservations that Commonsense and bob had until i visited the Inversion house and Reliant splash pad. Those seem to have been well managed
This park will sit on the site of just 63 units of Kelly Village, never mind the remainder of Kelly Village is still there. This park will really just be an expanded playground for the Kelly Village, thank you Houston for footing the bill to improve the Houston Housing Authority property. Its great that the hood is getting a park but this is a scam on the citizens of Houston. This is too sweet of a deal for the housing authority.
@commensense indeed, MOST parks are the number one location for drug sales and prostitution at least according to my anecdotal experiences. I’m pretty sure it’s Mayor Parkers fault, when the Buffalo Bayou park and Discovery Green added light poles, it pretty much became stripper pole central. people couldnt bike/run down the paths at night without being bombarded with 1 dollar bills, cocaine, and illegal solicitations.
commonsense, I don’ t know the scientific answer for your first question, but I don’t think believing people “in the hood” to be unworthy of outdoor spaces a fair nor ethical response. Whether some use it for illicit purposes is a weak argument. Consider whether you believe that no drug transactions/etc. have taken place at Memorial Park, Hermann Park, or pick-your-favorite park.
I would venture to say that a community lacking outdoor recreational spaces – like this project – leads to a far worse fate for an area. Perhaps that’s what this project is aiming to remedy.
@commonsense, I get that you enjoy making trollish comments, but to say that people in that area don’t deserve a park because they don’t pay much in taxes is small-minded, even for you. A true conservative sees the value of spending public money in areas that can have a strongly positive impact on future generations. The idea that only middle-and upper class children with tax-paying parents deserve parks is actually backwards. The middle- and upper class children have other places to go (and reliable transportation to take them there). So in fact they don’t need as many public parks; they have elaborate play sets in their backyards, and weekend play dates at Gymboree with their classmates. It’s these kids who we, as a society, are trying to bring into the middle class, who need more opportunities.
No illegal activities ever occur in precious Memorial Park, and there aren’t homeless encampments and “bums” there, either. Riiight. . .