Workers and equipment are visible looking north on I-45 Gulf Freeway South as road construction continues in La Marque. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect additional comments by local Houston artists.
Graffiti Park has long been known as a cultural hotspot for aspiring and established artists to showcase their work in a free and public space. But now, a highway improvement project has resulted in the iconic area’s demolition.
Located near 1503 Chartres St. and 2011 Leeland St., Houston, the warehouse was torn down at the end of June as a part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project. The project seeks to improve I-45 and reroute it through downtown Houston, according to TxDOT’s website. Parts of I-10 and US 59 will also be included in the improvement plans.
Painting over history
However, many artists who have used the space are upset over the project and the demolition of the space.
Deborah Mann visits the Graffiti Park, which is one Houston’s oldest and largest art initiatives. (Photo by Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“One of the largest and oldest art initiatives in Houston, purely run from artist to artist, we are the care takers and the original artist who started this art project more than 12 years ago,” artist Daniel Anguilu shared on Instagram. “It has become a site visited by thousands and unfortunately there is no conversation with us about the future and the documentation of a Houston iconic place for creativity.”
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Due to community backlash over the demolition, TxDOT has partnered with East Downtown Redevelopment Authority. TxDOT will contribute up to $500,000 in one-time mitigation funds that will allow for future public art in EaDo.
However, artists like Anguilu, would also like to see documentation on the financial and cultural impact of Graffiti Park, compiled into an official archive as a way to memorialize the Houston landmark.
“Through the East Downtown Redevelopment Authority’s Public Art Initiative, we are proud to turn a challenging circumstance into a community-centered opportunity,” said Raquelle Lewis, TxDOT Southeast director of communications in a press release. “Our commitment respects the past, supports the neighborhood’s creative legacy, and meets the transportation needs of a growing region.”
The project is expected to take 18 years to complete, with a start date of 2024 and an expected completion date of 2042, per Houston Public Media.
