TxDOT Partners with the East Downtown Redevelopment Authority to launch a public art initiative

June 6, 2025

By Danny Perez

HOUSTON – Layers of unsanctioned street art transformed two vacant buildings at 1530 Chartres St. and 2011 Leeland St. into a familiar gathering place locals informally call the Graffiti Park area.

Seeking to honor that community connection while advancing the I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the East Downtown Redevelopment Authority have forged a new public-art partnership.

Houston’s urban canvas already features well-known splash points, from the “Be Someone” rail trestle north of downtown to portraits of rap icons, Tejano stars, and Marvel heroes brightening walls to the east.

When TxDOT acquired the parcels in 2017 and 2023 for right-of-way tied to the NHHIP, the agency left the structures standing while neighborhood leaders discussed how best to preserve the area’s creative energy.

Under the agreement, TxDOT will contribute up to $500,000 in one-time mitigation funds, enabling the Authority’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 15 to commission, install and maintain new public art across East Downtown. The partnership shows that mobility upgrades and cultural expression can advance together.

“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. “Our commitment respects the past, supports the neighborhood’s creative legacy, and meets the transportation needs of a growing region.”

Authority Chair Gordon Quan said the partnership shows how infrastructure and culture can progress in tandem.

“By aligning transportation upgrades with art, we’re creating spaces that reflect our community’s energy and history,” he said. “I look forward to seeing how artists, residents, and businesses shape the next chapter of East Downtown’s creative landscape.”

The structures will be demolished by mid-June 2025.

The initiative underscores TxDOT’s pledge to act on feedback gathered during NHHIP public meetings and to deliver benefits rooted in community priorities.