Discovery Green
Discovery Green is a public-private partnership initiated in mid-2004 when the sale of the privately-owned green space across from the George R. Brown Convention Center was announced. The land was acquired in late 2004.
There are three entities working together to realize the initial vision for Discovery Green.
City of Houston. Mayor Bill White initiated the public-private partnership to secure the site for a park, and City Council approved a contribution of 6.4 acres of land toward the project and $7,900,000 toward acquisition of the remaining 5.4 acres. The city also created the Corporation, and it will contribute $750,000 annually toward maintenance of the park. In early 2006, the city approved funding of $21,500,000 for a garage under a part of the park.
Houston Downtown Park Corporation. The Corporation is a public local government corporation that owns the land. Upon the park’s completion, the Corporation will dedicate Discovery Green as a public park. The Corporation has entered into agreements with the Conservancy for development of the park and underground garage and for operation of the park.
Discovery Green Conservancy. The Conservancy is a private non-profit created to develop and operate Discovery Green. It will be the first private non-profit organization in Houston to be responsible for managing all aspects of a major public park’s ongoing operations. The Conservancy contributed $16,000,000 toward initial land acquisition and is raising funds totaling $36,000,000 and managing the project’s development. The Conservancy also is under contract to build the underground garage.
