The "Washington Corridor"

Houston has a new Cultural Arts District. Well, not exactly new, but “re-designated.” Houston’s newest district, named the Washington Corridor, is comprised of Houston’s historical First Ward and the area surrounding it to the west, with Washington Avenue running through it like a spine. The geographical location encompasses the area bounded by I-45 on the east side, I-10 on the north side, Westcott to the west, and Buffalo Bayou to the south.

Though you may have heard little about the Washington Corridor, you might have heard much of the rumbling, revolving around the community petitions to designate part of the area as an officially recognized historical district, with long-time residents hoping to slow the progress of aggressive developers. In recent years, properties in the First Ward have been purchased for relatively low prices, and then bulldozed to accommodate newer developments with much larger price tags. The outcome of this historical district battle will not be decided by city council until later this summer.

Here’s just a taste of what the debate is about:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=9429748

Artists in residence at the area’s art studios, like Winter Street and Spring Street, have a vested interest in the revitalization of the area, but some question whether or not their opinions are actually being considered.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, eager to get the implementation of a plan in place that pleases both current residents and future property developers asked the Asakura Robinson Company to spearhead a study to get at the heart of what’s at stake. The project, named the Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study was completed late last year, and the designation of the new arts district is just the first step towards setting the whole thing in motion.

In a resulting 250-page report (which can be found at http://videos.h-gac.com/CE/livablecenters/Washington-Avenue-Livable-Centers-Study.pdf ), the study identifies the need for poignant growth: “The Livable Centers program seeks to create walkable, mixed-use places that provide multi-modal transportation, improve environmental quality and promote economic development.”

The study sites 6 main purposes for redevelopment: 1. Provide more transportation choices; 2. Promote equitable, affordable housing; 3. Enhance economic competitiveness; 4. Support existing communities; 5. Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment; and 6. Value communities and neighborhoods, which is defined as “enhancing the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.”

If all this is news to you, you’re not alone. Few of the artists at Winter Street Studios knew anything about the project when I asked around during the studio’s bi-annual open house. Those who had heard something couldn’t articulate anything about it, only that its name “sounded familiar.” 

In fact the project has been using social media to spread the word since early 2012 with mixed results. It has a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WashAveLivableCenters) with a whopping 183 followers. The last post was in September of last year—the actual announcement that the designation of Cultural Arts District had, in fact, been achieved (there are a couple of nifty videos to watch though, if you’d rather skip the 250-page report). There’s also a Wordpress blog which had a total of 18 posts from Jan. ’12 to Jan. ’13—drawing a total of 18 comments (5 from concerned citizens, 4 from volunteers, and 9 from employees of the afore mentioned Asakura Robinson Company). 

You can find the blog here: http://washave.wordpress.com/ .

Keep in mind that change is never swift in the South. The proposed "revitalization" of this area is actually a 30-year plan. Yet, designation now—whether it is cultural or historic—does make or break ongoing and future development of the area. And revitalization takes money…lots of money.

While concerns and fears run rampant, it is still too early to tell whose interests are more important to city council members. Should outside developers’ concerns weigh more than citizens with generations of vested interest at stake? And what will become of small-business owners who lack the capital to maintain properties along a roadway with high visibility?

Surely, Houston has the potential to launch its own Soho (New York City), Noho (Los Angeles), Mission District (San Francisco), or Wynwood (Miami), but at what cost? Who stays? Who goes?

*To learn more about Houston’s Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study, visit:

 www.asakurarobinson.net/portfolio-view/washington-avenue-livable-centers-study/

**The article that drew my attention to the whole discussion can be found here:
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2013/06/07/washington-avenue-redux-ambitious.html