Houston, TX (April 10, 2015) – The Midtown Redevelopment Authority (MRA) announces the groundbreaking for Midtown Park, which takes place Thursday, May 28th, at 10 a.m. at the project development site, located at 2811 Travis Street between McGowen and Anita Streets.

Midtown Park is a six-acre site being jointly developed by Midtown Redevelopment Authority and Camden Properties into a dynamic mixed-use facility including a public park, retail space, residential facilities, and a public parking garage. Bordered by Main Street and adjacent to the McGowen Street Rail Station, this site – commonly referred to as the SuperBlock - will become a premier urban park space in the heart of Midtown. The highly anticipated project will bring a new level of vitalization and act as a catalyst to attract new development to one of the cities fastest growing communities.

“Midtown is quickly becoming known as the place where families can enjoy a great quality of life, professionals can work, developers can build and visitors and tourists can come and have a great time,” says Matt Thibodeaux, Midtown’s president and CEO. “Midtown Park will only add to the exciting and welcoming atmosphere of the community.”

The public park, retail, and parking garage are being developed by MRA, and the multi-family residential project is being developed by Camden. The MRA project consists of two urban park spaces combining for a total of three acres with food and beverage anchors, pedestrian oriented streetscapes, and an underground parking garage. The public parking garage will provide 400 parking spaces to address current parking demand and support future retail and commercial developments.

The half-acre retail plaza located adjacent to McGowen Street will be anchored by a restaurant and kiosk along with a public plaza space offering direct access to the McGowen Street METRORail Station. The larger greenspace will be located on the 2.5-acre site south of the multi-family development. Featuring numerous destinations including a great lawn, it will accommodate up to 3,000 guests for a variety of uses and recreational activities. A pavilion and stage structure will offer an extraordinary venue for concerts and special events. The interactive water feature, playground, games, courtyard, and dog run will welcome both children and adults. The landscaping will include a series of gardens and trails including the creation of a “bayou” for an interactive green approach to stormwater management. A large berm overlooking the great lawn will provide a scenic view to the City skyline. The six-acre plaza and 2.5 acre park space are connected through an art walk streetscape enhancement along Main Street providing opportunities for art installations.

Representatives from the Midtown Redevelopment Authority, the City of Houston, Camden Properties and other dignitaries will be in attendance. Completion of Midtown Park is scheduled for late 2016.

Midtown is a thriving mixed-use community in Houston that exemplifies the unique experience of urban living. It is arguably Houston’s most diverse neighborhood, while it’s cultural arts, living options and business opportunities have become the cities most-prized.

For more information on the development of Midtown Park and other MRA projects, please visit www.houstonmidtown.com.

About Midtown Houston

Midtown Houston is comprised of two organizations committed to making Midtown a model of urban living in the center of Houston, Texas. The two organizations are the Midtown Redevelopment Authority / Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 and the Midtown Management District. These organizations undertake projects with widespread benefit to the area that is beyond the ability of individual property owners or businesses within the district to provide. Both organizations share the common vision of shaping Midtown into a thriving, pedestrian-friendly urban community with distinct responsibilities. Midtown is the first district in Texas to receive the Cultural Arts & Entertainment District accreditation from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

About Midtown Redevelopment Authority

The Reinvestment Zone Number Two, City of Houston, Texas (the “Midtown TIRZ”) was created by the City of Houston (the “City”) on December 14, 1994, by Ordinance No. 94-1345 and enlarged by Ordinance No. 95-1322 (collectively, the “Ordinance”) and operates pursuant to the Tax Increment Financing Act, Chapter 311, Texas Tax Code (the “TIF Act”) and the Ordinance. The City created the Midtown TIRZ for the purpose of redevelopment of the area located generally between the central business district of the City and the Museum District /Texas Medical Center area.

For more information on the development of Midtown Park and other MRA projects, please visit www.houstonmidtown.com.