Mayor Sylvester Turner stood on McKinney Street, and pointed the toe of his shoe at the lifted and jagged pavers that line much of the perimeter of City Hall.

The sidewalk will look entirely different a few months from now, Turner said, with level walkways that will not trip up pedestrians or cause problems for people with disabilities.

That work will be just one part of a $4.9 million effort announced Thursday to beautify and improve pedestrian safety at City Hall and Hermann Square, the small park that rings the reflecting pool in front of the 80-year-old building that houses the seat of Houston government.

“There’s no question that there’s a lot of work that needs to take place here,” Turner said. “If we can get this right, it will enhance the pride that all of us have about our city, and this is the epicenter.”

The initiative will serve as the first phase of a beautification project that will draw from a mixture of public and privately raised funds, Turner said. All of the public funds that will be used for the project — more than $1.9 million, mostly from bonds and the parks construction fund — already have been earmarked, mayoral spokeswoman Mary Benton said.

City officials used Thurday’s announcement to make a plea to the public to help about $3 million for the effort. Houston Parks and Recreation Director Steve Wright asked public and private stakeholders to put aside any differences to collaborate on the initiative.

“This is about people,” Wright said. “And when people come together, regardless of what side, and work together on projects like this, we can elevate this for the city of Houston and it reflects the heart of what I think that we stand for.”

The project also brings together Turner and Elyse Lanier, whose late husband was former Houston mayor and one-time Turner political rival Bob Lanier.

The former first lady approached Turner with the idea to beautify the City Hall building at 901 Bagby, the mayor said.

In addition to the new pavers, plans call for new curbs and gutters, access ramps and improved landscaping and irrigation, Turner said. Improvements also will be made to flower beds, drainage, pedestrian lighting and benches.

Power washing the 11-story limestone Art Deco building also is a possibility.

“I feel so much like this is part of the environment,” Lanier said. “All of this inspires people to feel better, to work harder … and I think it brings a wonderful result.”

The $4.9 million price tag — which is for just the first phase of beautification at the site — includes some indoor repairs related to Hurricane Harvey. The City Hall basement has been unusable since it was flooded, Turner said, and windows and cracks in the building will be re-sealed to bring the structure back up to standard, Houston City Councilman David Robinson said.

People involved in the project pointed to the distinctiveness of the 1939 building as a reason to keep it in good condition, with Houston developer and project partner Billy Burge likening in some respects to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

“It’s way overdue, but it’s a great history,” Burge said. “It’s a great façade.”

samantha.ketterer@chron.com

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