'The park will be a treasure to the community': Houston celebrates opening of Avondale Promenade Park

The City of Houston recently celebrated the opening of Avondale Promenade Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  

The quarter acre park is located at the Westheimer Road and Whitney Road intersection, in the city's Montrose district.

Houston City Councilwoman Abbie Kamin celebrated the ceremony and everyone who advocated for the project.

"The park will be a treasure to the community for years to come," she said.

The recreational area also serves as the new home of the Montrose Remembrance Garden (which honors victims of hate crimes,) she said.

Designed by landscape architects, White Oak Studio, the park features a craftsmen pavilion, brick promenade, play area, Crepe Myrtle grove and lots of lawn space.

The studio specializes in the creation of positive outdoor environments that nurture and inspire people and improve and uplift communities.

The park's roots date back to 2014 when it was proposed by then-Houston City Councilwoman Ellen Cohen.

Originally the park was to serve as a memorial for 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhorn, who was stabbed to death near Montrose’s Blur Bar, but has since been included to honor LGBT victims all across the city, according to Paper City Magazine.

The city eventually bought the land a year later and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department was awarded a $1 million grant for the project in 2017.

“When completed, this neighborhood park will provide needed green space in a very densely built area and its amenities will blend beautifully with the community,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said at the time.

Construction of the park began in 2019 in what had been a previous vacant lot.

Now, the park will serve as a place to decompress and enjoy nature while reminding the community of the positive impact of the legacies left behind from the LGBTQ community it seeks to honor.