Fifteen years ago, New York City leaders looked at an abandoned, aging elevated rail line that stretched about 20 city blocks along Manhattan’s western edge and wondered if something could be done with it. Today, the city can point to a unique public park that attracts 6 million visitors each year. It also generates an abundance of tax revenue. The old rail line, now called The High Line, is so attractive it has drawn $2 billion in new economic development to the area. Condos, restaurants, office buildings and retail surround the old rail line and the once blighted area has become a vibrant and growing place to live and work and visit.
Photo of Klyde Warren Park by Steve Rainwater licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Cities throughout Texas are also trying to find new uses for unused and/or underutilized public assets. Many have launched similar projects to convert non-revenue-producing or deteriorating public infrastructure into parks and recreational areas that provide citizen benefits as well as economic stimulus.
In Dallas, Klyde Warren Park is located atop a capped portion of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The park was developed on 5 acres of property located along the edge of the Arts District. It now connects Downtown Dallas and Uptown and it attracts more than 1 million people to the area annually. Once a non-revenue-producing property, it is now truly an asset to the city.
Its success has led city transportation planners to discuss the creation of a similar park by converting a part of I-35E in South Dallas into a capped highway. Although still in the conceptual phase, the project would involve a public-private partnership. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would be responsible for road construction and funding would come from both the city and private-sector partners selected for development.
The Houston Parks Board is spearheading the Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative. This $220 million project is a public-private partnership designed to include the Houston Parks Board, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Harris County Flood Control District as well as private-sector firms. It will touch more than 3,000 acres and add more than 80 new miles of trails throughout the city. When completed, about 60 percent of the city’s residents will live within 1.5 miles of a Bayou Greenway. The project also has a more practical purpose – flood prevention. It will protect homes, businesses and institutions along the length of the city’s bayous.
Austin’s Waller Creek project is also designed to address flood control while creating public park space. Once efforts to control the flow of water through Waller Creek are completed, a public-private partnership will work to develop an inviting space for citizens and an attractive location for new businesses. The project has been compared to San Antonio’s Riverwalk.
This trend of revitalizing public assets is not just touching the state’s largest cities. Smaller communities and mid-size cities are also launching similar innovative projects. The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority are working with other local government entities to convert another 7 acres of abandoned rail corridor into hike and bike trails. Brownsville city officials are considering future uses for a former rail line. There is strong consideration of making the property a hike-and-bike trail.
In Mexia, State Highway 14 was rebuilt years ago, and the old SH 14 is no longer in use. City officials have worked with TxDOT to transfer ownership of the old road so that the city can convert about 10 miles of it to cycling trails.
Almost every city has aging, deteriorating and/or abandoned infrastructure. It’s exciting to see innovative city leaders collaborate with private-sector partners to launch novel projects that benefit both citizens and the local economies. Collaboration and innovation – a trend worth watching!
SPI’s newsletters are an excellent source to learn about the latest trends in government procurement. Subscribe here.