Houston State Representative Jolanda Jones has called an emergency town hall Wednesday evening for residents fighting a private developer's bid to acquire a stretch of Palm Street between Fannin and Main Streets in Museum Park. The meeting runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Nehemiah Center, 5015 Fannin St., and comes as Houston City Council prepares to make the final call on whether the public roadway gets abandoned to make way for private redevelopment.
The proposal is not new. City records link Excelsior Land Company to efforts targeting the same block of Palm Street going back to 2004, according to Jones' office — making this the developer's third attempt in 22 years to close the corridor, as African American News and Issues reports. The most recent prior attempt, filed in April 2016, involved a planned mixed-use project in the Museum District that included Mann Eye Institute, according to the Houston Business Journal.
As first reported by CW39 Houston, Jones walked the street and surrounding area herself to understand residents' concerns before organizing the gathering. The Museum Park Super Neighborhood Council has already weighed in, voting 7-1 against the proposed closure, the station's report notes. Residents say the abandonment could worsen traffic, parking, and access to nearby community services — concerns that center heavily on the Nehemiah Center itself.
Why the Nehemiah Center Is at the Heart of the Fight
The Nehemiah Center is a nonprofit serving children and families, sitting adjacent to the proposed closure at 5015 Fannin Street. The proposed closure has prompted concerns about access to the center, according to CW39. Residents have also raised concerns about daily child drop-offs.
Residents have raised concerns that closing Palm Street could further constrain traffic and access in the neighborhood.
Access Concerns Across the Neighborhood
The stakes extend beyond one block. Residents have raised concerns about parking and roadway access across the neighborhood.
More than 160 public comments poured in during the city's extended comment period, according to Jones' office, with most opposing the street-abandonment plan.
How Houston's Street Abandonment Process Works
Under the city's procedure, the Joint Referral Committee reviews requests, and City Council takes the final approval vote, according to the Houston Chronicle. Adjoining property owners must agree to the sale. The city gives up public ownership so the street or alley can be sold to nearby property owners. The 2016 project involved Mann Eye Institute, per the Houston Business Journal.
Jones argues the proposed abandonment would transfer public property for private benefit, and she has emphasized that the decision is not yet final. Residents still have an opportunity to speak before City Council votes, and those interested in attending Wednesday's town hall can register at palmstreet.eventbrite.com. Jones has raised concerns about a separate Third Ward gas-station proposal, as Hoodline reported; that proposal has not been established as connected to redevelopment threatening a historic church nearby.
The outcome in Museum Park will hinge on City Council's decision on the current proposal. For now, the fight returns to a familiar stage: a public street, a private developer, and a community determined not to lose the ground it's already standing on.
