Houston philanthropist to fund Jones Plaza remake

Lynn Wyatt reacting to audience applause at a press conference at Jones Plaza on October 7, 2019. She has committed a $10 million gift to ensure that a transformation of the former Jones Plaza downtown can be undertaken. The new square will be named the Lynn Wyatt Square For the Performing Arts. On the right is her son, Bradford Wyatt. less Lynn Wyatt reacting to audience applause at a press conference at Jones Plaza on October 7, 2019. She has committed a $10 million gift to ensure that a transformation of the former Jones Plaza downtown can be ... more Photo: Gary Fountain, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Photo: Gary Fountain, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Houston philanthropist to fund Jones Plaza remake 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

The transformation of long-dormant Jones Plaza — an empty block of concrete platforms in the Theater District once likened to a public restroom — will be complete within two years thanks to a $10 million donation from one of Houston’s most powerful supporters of the arts.

Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday announced that Jones Plaza will become the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts by 2021. Wyatt, the famed socialite and philanthropist who has supported the arts in Houston for decades, made the contribution to a $29 million revitalization project.

“I’ve long been devoted to the arts, because I believe that the arts, including the performing arts, are the soul of any city,” Wyatt said during the announcement.

The renovation of the space, which is next to the Alley Theatre and Jones Hall, will feature more shade for the plaza, more greenery and a two-story indoor and outdoor dining area. A water feature, performance lawn and a street theater will also enhance the square.

“Once renovated, this site is going to look and feel nothing like what we see around us today,” said David Mincberg, chairman of Houston First, which operates the plaza. “It will be a warm and welcoming oasis with a wonderful restaurant and creative programming that reflects the spirit of the performing arts that surround the site and the creative community in which we live.”

The new square will be the start of a new beginning for the west side of downtown, Mincberg said.

“We fully believe that what Discovery Green did for the east side of town, the renovated square in the heart of the Theater District will do for the west side of town,” he said.

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The 1.5-acre plaza, nestled between Texas Avenue and Smith, Louisianaand Capitol streets, first opened in 1967.

Located above a parking garage, its stepped design was structurally necessary, making it difficult to access for some. The plaza’s entirely concrete landscape has never had greenery, making shade elusive.

During the planning phase of the plaza’s first revitalization project 18 years ago, the head of a major local charitable foundation equated the site to “a men’s room at a bus station.” The plaza took on the nickname “Jordy’s Toilet,” a reference to Jordy Tollett, then-director of Houston’s Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department, which led that project.

The city’s performing arts community has long wondered what Jones Plaza could become, said Perryn Leech, chairman of the board of Theater District Houston

“The new public square will hopefully pull people out of the buildings to experience culture in a way that they haven’t been able to before this point,” he said. “It will provide a place where performances of all kinds can be shared.”

Houston First announced its plans to transform the space in April 2018. Crews will break ground on the project in 2020.

The Downtown Redevelopment Authority committed $10 million, and Houston First has given $5 million. Astros owner Jim Crane, his wife Whitney and the Astros Foundation, have donated $1 million.

With Wyatt’s gift, the new plaza is nearly fully funded, Turner said, adding the namesake of the square embodies what the “glamour of Houston is all about.”

“I feel like I’m gonna cry,” Wyatt said after Turner’s remarks. “Your words really touched me.”

Though Wyatt’s lifestyle has allowed her to travel the world, she said Houston will always be her home and her support for its arts community will never waver.

“There is simply no place like home — and that’s Houston,” she said.

hannah.dellinger@chron.com