Minipark in Galveston first among many to add greenspace Minipark first among several projects to add greenspace

GALVESTON – Downtown Galveston's new minipark is the first project in a larger effort to soften the harsh concrete landscape with islands of green.

The park is one of a number of moves to brighten the island's image and make it a more pleasant destination for visitors next summer, including a newly created beach, high-tech restrooms on the seawall with flush toilets and running water and the rebuilding of a park at one of the city's entrances.

The improvements are being made by the city, the Park Board, the county and private organizations.

The new mini park that opened Dec. 15 on 22nd Street, between Market and Mechanic streets, is part of a new strategy by the Historic Downtown Strand/Seaport Partnership to make downtown more welcoming and pedestrian friendly, said Trey Click, Partnership executive director.

"My goal is to get rid of 30 percent of the concrete downtown," Click said. "We've just paved everything."

The tiny park - equipped with a shade pavilion, benches and landscaping - is one of several "connector" parks that the Partnership hopes to build to connect the historic Strand with the restaurants, art galleries, antique stores and other businesses on Post Office, Mechanic, Market and other downtown streets.

The greening of the downtown area follows a proposal done for the Partnership in 2010 at a cost of $250,000. The proposal called for the city to use $20 million in federal disaster recovery money for the first phase of a $72 million plan to revitalize the downtown area and bring in a major retail outlet.

The City Council rebuffed the proposal, but Click, appointed executive director last year, is using it as a model for his greening effort. He convinced the city to pay the $150,000 cost of converting a section of city-owned sidewalk into a park by securing a guarantee from a business adjacent to the park to perform all the maintenance.

His next goal is to plant more trees downtown. Click is negotiating with the non-profit Galveston Tree Conservancy to cut out sections of concrete along downtown sidewalks to create spots for tree planting.

Other improvements that are separate from Click's efforts include:

The City of Galveston awarded a $4 million contract this month to General Construction Inc. to build five Portland Loos restrooms on the seawall to replace portable outhouses. The restrooms were developed by the City of Portland to be safe, economical and sturdy. The restrooms will have a hand-washing station and a shower on the outside. David Smith, city transportation director and interim police chief, said the restrooms will be the first on the seawall in decades to have running water. The Loos are expected to be ready in May.

Work is under way on a $4.5 million rebuilding of Washington Park, a park on 61st Street that is one of the first things visitors to Galveston see as they turn off Interstate 45 and head for Seawall Boulevard and the beaches. The park has been an eyesore since it was reduced to shambles by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Repairs were delayed by funding difficulties and the need to rebid the project. The Joseph D. Jamail Foundation donated $2.38 million to the rebuilding effort, and the park will be renamed Lee and Joe Jamail Bay Park.

The refurbished park will have a new and expanded boat ramp, new pier, a pavilion and a pedestrian bridge over the inlet that runs under 61st Street and connects Offats and English bayous. The county, which owns the park and boat ramp, will turn the responsibility for maintenance over to the city. The Park is expected open as soon as construction is complete, possibly by next Fall.

A new beach stretching from 61st Street to 75th Street on Seawall Boulevard was completed in November. The beach west of 61st Street was washed away at least 55 years ago, leaving nothing but granite blocks piled at the base of the seawall. The new beach has already proved to be popular, said Kelly de Schaun, Galveston Park Board executive director.

The Park Board is planning to rebuild nearly all the existing beaches in front of the seawall east of 61st Street in 2016.

The city is in the planning stage for a revamped trolley system that will include the cars running on rails and rubber tires. The system should be up and running in 2017.