HOUSTON – A major downtown Houston project is underway to make the city center more walkable and cooler through strategic shade installations and green infrastructure, just in time for the upcoming World Cup.
The ambitious nearly $3 million initiative spans 27 downtown blocks on Main Street and Texas Avenue and aims to reduce temperatures by up to 10 degrees through a combination of new shade structures, tree plantings, and artistic installations.
Historic Buildings Getting Modern Updates
At the historic Kiam Building, known as downtown Houston’s first structure with an elevator, renovation work is incorporating modern cooling features while preserving its historical significance. The building will feature a new wraparound awning designed to create comfortable gathering spaces.
“It doesn’t just provide shade and comfort, but it encourages people to gather, slow down, breathe, and engage in the space,” says Christine Lee, whose family owns the Kiam Building. The renovation aims to tell “the building’s next chapter” while contributing to a more temperature-friendly downtown environment.
After the massive renovation, Lee said her family hopes to find a local, uniquely Houston business to be an anchor tenant and possibly activate the basement.
Comprehensive Cooling Strategy
The project includes multiple cooling elements:
- Installation of 113 new trees on Main Street and Texas Avenue
- Addition of 12 artistic metal shade structures with integrated lighting
- Strategic placement of awnings and coverings
- Implementation of supporting vegetation
“Trees, mature tree canopy can cool surface temperatures 20 degrees,” explained City Council Member Mario Castillo. “Shade structures also work really well. The vegetation that goes underneath helps the trees grow and thrive and also provide a cooling effect.”
The project is being funded by federal dollars, according to Downtown Houston+, and a $500,000 grant from CenterPoint Energy.
Changing Downtown’s Culture
The initiative aims to transform downtown Houston from a purely business district into a more livable, walkable space. Currently, as Castillo said, “Downtown has really been a place people come to to work and then leave immediately to get home.”
Many people also rely on the air-conditioned underground tunnels to move between buildings, leaving downtown sidewalks looking deserted on Houston’s hottest days.
The project represents what Councilmember Castillo said should be a shift in Houston’s urban development approach.
“We are only going to continue to deal with extreme heat. We can’t develop the same way we’ve always developed,” Castillo said. “We need to adapt. We need change and thinking about how we cool our corridors and make our spaces more comfortable for folks year-round, knowing that we’re getting hotter and hotter days for longer stretches of time, it’s important and I’m glad that downtown is stepping up to lead the charge.”
World Cup Preparations
Several businesses have received grants through Downtown Houston+ to help cover the costs of cooling improvements, representing a long-term investment in downtown’s future.
The timing aligns with Houston’s preparations to host World Cup events, with stakeholders hoping these improvements will showcase the city’s innovation in urban climate adaptation.
“We’re hoping that it will be a part of retelling, restoring the Kiam Building’s story and also how this whole community will be really uplifted through all the energy that we think the World Cup and its people will bring,” Lee said.