A ribbon cutting ceremony and greenhouse tours took place Friday morning to celebrate the new Houston Parks and Recreation Department Greenhouse Complex at Memorial Park. The 8,600 square foot greenhouse replaces the original 3,000 square foot greenhouse that was damaged by Ike in 2008.
The building's amenities include a state-of-the-art design, an outdoor education area with planting beds, seat walls, and a 10,000 gallon cistern for irrigation and detention -- all of which will allow more plant production for the city.
There are currently around 3,000 plants in the greenhouse which will grow and be dispersed throughout the city including Memorial Park, Hermann Park and its golf course.
"We just tried to build a place where we could all be proud of what we do and our facilities here and once we get our program, we'll definitely be giving tours of the facility," said Joe Turner, Director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Turner said there will eventually be scheduled tours and scheduled classes at the greenhouse.
The $1.4 million project was partially funded through the Hurricane Ike Aid and Recovery Program.
