Almost 100 people attended Tuesday night’s community meeting of the Historic Wheatley/E.O. Smith Preservation Coalition to hear updates on the fate of the original Wheatley High School, 1700 Gregg St. at Lyons. Demolition of the historic building was temporarily stopped on Tuesday through a grassroots campaign.
Encouraging developments in Astrodome discussion
On Tuesday, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett announced his idea to repurpose the Astrodome as the world’s largest indoor park, saying the proposal would create “a new vision of the future” while honoring Judge Roy Hofheinz’s original intention for the iconic stadium. Since then, there have been positive responses to the plan, including an ongoing Houston Business Journal survey showing majority support for the proposal and an Atlantic magazine CityLab article that draws parallels between the Dome’s possibilities and New York’s High Line urban park.
Good Brick Award nominations now open for 2015
Preservation Houston is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Good Brick Awards for excellence in historic preservation. Residential, commercial and institutional projects all qualify for awards. Awards are also given for publications, recognition for design professionals, preservation-related programs or activities and outstanding service or leadership in historic preservation.
Texas Historical Commission tables landmark designation for Astrodome
Texas Historical Commission (THC) this afternoon voted to table the motion to designate the Astrodome as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). THC Chair Matthew Kreisle moved to postpone the vote until a later date, stating he wanted to hear from Harris County officials before granting SAL status.