Houston's new downtown park needs a name. You can help.
"We want Houstonians to feel like it is their park," said Guy Hagstette, director of the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy, which is overseeing development of the $81 million, 12-acre park near the George R. Brown Convention Center.The contest, which continues through 5 p.m. Sept. 18, is open to all U.S. residents. The winner will receive dinner for two at a new restaurant to open in the park, a framed political cartoon by Houston Chronicle cartoonist Nick Anderson and a collection of Houston Astros merchandise.
Hagstette said the conservancy's board will review submissions and make a recommendation to Mayor Bill White, who will make the final decision. The name of the park will be unveiled at an Oct. 16 groundbreaking ceremony.
Parts of the park are scheduled to open in fall 2007, with the entire park open by January 2008.
In its logo and promotional materials, the conservancy refers to the park as "downtown's backyard," based on the idea that people tend to be more comfortable in their backyards than their front yards, said Nancy Kinder, the conservancy's board chairwoman.
The conservancy wants the park's name to convey the same sense of comfort and intimacy - a goal that also was reflected in soliciting public ideas to influence the park's design, Kinder said.