Scoop: Inside Central Houston's new plan for embattled I-45 project - Axios HoustonLog InLog InAxios Houston is an Axios company.

Central Houston' s new plan for I-45

Rendering of a conceptual bridge park over U.S. 59 near Almeda in Houston. Photo courtesy of Central Houston A prominent downtown business organization wants to add $750 million of amenities to the embattled North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), according to plans shared exclusively with Axios Houston. Catch up quick: The NHHIP is a nearly $10 billion Texas Department of Transportation Interstate 45 from Beltway 8 to south of downtown.Near downtown, I-45 will be rerouted alongside Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. Driving the news: is proposing 10 new amenities in and around the downtown portion of the interstate project with a goal of making it more equitable to communities previously ravaged by Houston's network of highways. The plan calls for: A community park built above a depressed portion of the freeway in East Downtown. A green loop around downtown with trails, parks and community spaces.Transforming Pierce Elevated into a sky park on the west and south sides of downtown.Map of the proposed Green Loop around downtown Houston. State of play: A Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) investigation put the interstate project on hold more than a year ago. Federal officials are considering whether TxDOT committed any with the highway's proposed new footprint, which mostly affects Black and brown communities. More than 1,000 homes, 100 businesses and nearly a dozen schools and churches would be destroyed for additional right-of-way. TxDOT has already demolished hundreds of homes in East Downtown to make way for the widened highway despite the federal hold. More work could start as late as 2025 , according to TxDOT. What they're saying: "The transformational aspect [of Central Houston's plan] is connecting communities that have been rent asunder under transportation projects in the 50s and 60s that destroyed communities," says Allen Douglas, general counsel for the downtown group. What's happening: Central Houston presented plans and a cost analysis to the FHWA this spring. The group hopes the FHWA will find a way to incorporate the amenities into the project as it determines the outcome of the investigation. Details: Central Houston is willing to pay for about one-third of the cost of the new amenities, but the rest remains unfunded. The group hopes to work with other entities to seek federal and state grants to fill the gaps. Douglas said the cost of the additional work, if it ever came to fruition, shouldn't be a "burden for the local community." Yes, but: Not everyone is onboard. , a group of community organizers who have long protested the NHHIP, doesn't think amenities solve the problems with the project."No amount of 'beautification' can neutralize the devastating impacts of widening I-45," the group said in a statement. "These renderings are distractions from the fact that widening I-45 will result in , and ." Flashback: The project has faced opposition for years from some local government officials and community activists. Stop TxDOT I-45 was among several groups who . Harris County officials also sued TxDOT over the project but put their lawsuit on pause to open up discussions with the department, . What we're watching: The FHWA investigation is ongoing, and there's no timetable for completion. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg declined to comment on the investigation during a . If TxDOT is found to have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the FHWA can order a 90-day corrective plan . Go deeper: Read Central Houston's . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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