HOUSTON – On Thursday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire laid out a plan to elevate Houston parks and public spaces, including a makeover of Tranquillity Park, a downtown green space next to City Hall that was built to honor the city’s role in the 1969 moon landing.
Whitmire, speaking to business and community leaders during his annual State of the City address, said the park at 400 Rusk St. should better reflect Houston’s “ambitions and achievements” and serve as a welcoming civic space for residents, workers and visitors.
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“Tranquillity Park can and should be a better reflection of this great city’s ambitions and achievements,” Whitmire said. “This is one of the popular places where Houstonians gather to participate in our most cherished public events and parades.”
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Tranquillity Park is bordered by Smith, Walker, Bagby and Rusk streets and opened on the 10th anniversary of the July 20, 1969, lunar landing.
The park’s name references the moment astronaut Neil Armstrong radioed NASA’s mission control center in Houston with the words, “Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
Downtown Houston+ President and CEO Kris Larson said the organization supports the mayor’s push to revive the park, calling it a long-ignored public asset.
“We appreciate Mayor Whitmire for challenging us to think creatively about this public asset in the heart of our region that had been ignored too long,” Larson said in a statement.
Larson said improvements should broaden the park’s appeal and ease of use while also highlighting Houston’s history of space exploration.
City officials said work has already started, beginning with increased care and maintenance. Last November, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and Houston Public Works added soil, mulch and new sod around the park’s heritage oak trees. Paver repairs have begun, and wider upgrades are expected to start in March.
Mark Folkes, president and CEO of The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, said the updates could also strengthen connections between the park and the nearby Theater District.
“For years, Houston Theater District visitors have passed Tranquillity Park and imagined its potential as a vibrant outdoor destination,” Folkes said in a statement.
The park improvements come as downtown leaders point to other public projects — including the transformation of the George R. Brown Convention Center and a new Main Street Promenade — as catalysts for additional private investment.
Recent downtown announcements have included new hotels, conversions of older office buildings into residential properties, and a $50 million renovation of the office tower at 910 Louisiana aimed at opening the building’s ground floor to better connect with Hermann Square and City Hall.
“I ran for mayor to fix Houston,” Whitmire said. “This is an example of a long-neglected space that will be fixed.”