Controversial Montrose Boulevard construction project starts Monday, March 31

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- If you drive through Montrose, get ready for some construction.

Workers will break ground Monday, March 31, on what's been a controversial redesign of Montrose Boulevard.

The first phase of the construction will start at Allen Parkway and go down to West Clay Street.

This project is scheduled to take about a year to complete, but it's been in the works for three years, raising tensions with residents and city officials.

"It was funded, it was planned, it was planned, it was ready to go, and then it was taken away, and there was no discussion. No one came and explained," Laura Conely, a Montrose resident and member of the Walk and Roll Houston safety group, said.

Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone is a long name for what's basically a special zone that collects taxes to promote growth in specific areas.

In 2022, the Montrose TIRZ board approved a plan to redevelop Montrose Boulevard from Allen Parkway to the Southwest Freeway.

The plan was to narrow car lanes and install 10-foot wide paths for cyclists and pedestrians.

Pedestrian safety groups supported it, but tree lovers were upset because the plan called for cutting down 57 live oak trees.

When Mayor John Whitmire got into office, he paused the plans and replaced all seven Montrose TIRZ board members.

"I think this was a once-in-a-generation project that got murked up at the last second," Alexander Spike said.

Spike was raised in Montrose and is a member of a Montrose group called Friends of the Blvd.

The new plan, which covers Allen Parkway to West Clay street for now, prioritizes car lanes and trees.

Instead of installing 10-foot-wide bike and walking lanes, it will install an underground drainage system and new medians and repave the roads, which, according to the mayor's office, will increase safety by keeping traffic moving.

The TIRZ board says this plan is final.

"Once they lay concrete in the road, it's not like they can easily come back and add something," Conely said.

Montrose TIRZ sent the following statement:

Since the reconstruction has been approved and permitted, we do not anticipate any changes to the project.

We understand that not everyone supports all elements of the plan. However, moving forward, the version represents a compromise shaped by years of public input and collaboration with the City. It balances the needs of residents, commuters, and businesses.

The plan also honors the character of Montrose. Rather than large expanses of concrete, it preserves the area's tree canopy while incorporating modern improvements. These include much-needed flood detention, an 8-foot-wide shared-use path, rebuilt sidewalks, new pedestrian lighting, a signalized crosswalk at West Clay, a new landscaped median, and more than 100 new trees.

This plan builds on decades of study, including the TIRZ's 2020 Walk + Bike Montrose plan and earlier beautification efforts. We're proud of the project and we're confident it reflects the best possible path forward for the community.

Marlene Gafrick, the mayor's advisor on infrastructure, sent the following response:

The Montrose project maintains the general mobility lanes to allow service delivery and encourages through traffic to stay on the roadway rather than cut through the neighborhoods. It also focuses on pedestrian safety with improved sidewalks and a HAWK signal at Clay and Montrose Boulevard. The alternative was designed to slow traffic down to a point that would encourage traffic to seek other routes through neighborhoods and impact our emergency services and solid waste delivery.

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