Jones Plaza renamed after Houston socialite Lynn Wyatt after she made $10M donation

Lynn Wyatt at the renaming announcement of Jones Plaza on Oct. 7 2019. After Wyatt made a $10 million donation towards the renovation of the space, it was renamed to the Lynn Wyatt Square of Performing Arts. (KPRC)

HOUSTON – The Jones Plaza in downtown Houston was renamed Monday after Lynn Wyatt, a Houston socialite and philanthropist, made a $10 million donation to help renovate it. 

In a ceremony Monday morning, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the plaza will now be known as the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts. 

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"The transformation of this public space will not only serve as a cornerstone for downtown, but a dynamic epicenter of Houston's cultural footprint," Turner said. "In recognition of her legacy of philanthropy, it is only fitting that this space be named after Houston's greatest benefactor of the arts, Lynn Wyatt." 

Wyatt's donation makes up about one-third of the $29 million renovation of the "long-underutilized parcel of downtown real estate," according to a release by HoustonFirst. The plaza will be "refashioned as a new hub in the Downtown Theater District," the group wrote. 

"The older a person gets, honors like this become so much more meaningful," Wyatt said after the announcement. "One looks back on one person's life and feels very appreciative. My heart is truly touched."

The Downtown Redevelopment Authority also committed $10 million and the Houston First Corporation pledged another $5 million toward the project. Construction is slated to begin in summer 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2021.