Upper Kirby Update 

April 12, 2013  

Westheimer Reconstruction East Project Boundaries

Westheimer  

Paving, Drainage and  Streetscape Improvements Project: 

 Design for Westheimer Road between Shepherd and Kirby is complete and awaiting City signatures.

Originally scheduled for construction in January, the project met with some delay late in the design process and then again with City review. Plans were submitted for signature at the beginning of March and are currently still with the City of Houston. 

The hope is to receive bids late next week and make a selection at the April 24th Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 19 (TIRZ 19) board meeting. Notice to proceed with construction should be given early next month.  

The first phase of this project will entail overhead utility burial, a process that will be comprised of approximately four to five months of duct bank construction followed by relocation and reconnection activities undertaken by CenterPoint Energy and associated telecommunications providers. The duration of this connection phase is ultimately up to the utility companies, however, this phase will have little to no impact on traffic.  

Once the utilities have been removed and the lines brought underground, Upper Kirby will move forward with drainage and underground infrastructure improvements followed by complete repaving of the roadway. The project will also entail the installation of a pedestrian-oriented streetscape similar to the treatment provided on the recent Kirby Drive and Buffalo Speedway projects. Roadway reconstruction is anticipated to begin in January 2014.

For more information on Upper Kirby construction and related activities, please contact Travis Younkin at 713.524.8000 or travis@upperkirby.org. 

Vase Portion of the Sculpture Complete, Ready for Wax Mold

World-renowned artist, James Surls is making progress on the production of his Tree and Three Flowers piece, a magnificent undertaking that will place a 30' public sculpture in front of 50,000 cars-a-day on Kirby Drive just south of Westheimer Road.  

The cast for the 13.5' "vase" of the piece has been completed and James will now begin a molding process that will eventually end in the final, bronze version.  

The Surls on Kirby project is intended to signify growth and potential, to act as a magnet for tourism and commercial patronage, to inspire citizen creativity and to add dramatically to the local community's sense of place. It is intended to be a collaboration of the community taking ownership in its cultural and civic identity and relaying that identity on a local, national and international level to the residents, business owners, patrons and visitors that pass by every day.   

The Upper Kirby District Foundation is spearheading this iconic project and has secured to date $450,000 in public sector investment from the Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority and Harris County Improvement District No. 3 as well as over $200,000 in private donations. The target installation date is December 15, 2013.