County could vote to seize parts of Hermann Park for hospital expansion
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Ben Taub Hospital looms behind Hermann Park. Photo: Sharon Steinmann/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Harris County commissioners are scheduled to discuss and possibly vote Thursday on the seizure of 8.9 acres from Hermann Park by eminent domain to expand Ben Taub Hospital, one of two Level 1 trauma centers in the county.
Why it matters: The county's health department, Harris Health, says the expansion is needed to keep up with the region's growing population.
- Parks advocates, however, oppose the move and say there are other ways to expand the hospital's capacity without building on the central Houston park, which is owned by the city and operated by the Hermann Park Conservancy.
Catch up quick: Harris Health first proposed the seizure publicly in June 2025.
- The agency plans to build a 100-bed expansion wing of Ben Taub on the site, located at the corner of Braeswood Boulevard and Cambridge Street, as part of the $2.5 billion bond referendum approved by voters in 2023.
Zoom in: Jim Blackburn, a Rice University environmental law professor, sent commissioners a letter Monday on behalf of his group Bayou City Initiative and Protect Hermann Park ahead of the vote.
- In the letter, he asked commissioners to explore other alternatives, like expanding on existing hospital property or pursuing another nearby site.
- Harris Health says in an FAQ document that officials looked into other alternatives and determined they wouldn't work.
What they're saying: "Parks are kind of easy prey," Blackburn said. "I've come to feel that there's a sacred trust of the community to, if parkland is to be taken, make sure it needs to be taken."
Threat level: Blackburn, a flooding expert who was recently tapped to help guide the Ike Dike project, also cited concerns over the site's location in FEMA's 100-year floodplain.
- Texas law prohibits new hospitals from being built within a 100-year floodplain, but expansions to existing hospitals are allowed as long as "functional hospital components" are elevated above the floodplain.
- Harris Health plans to use the land longterm for a "complete replacement" of Ben Taub Hospital, according to the FAQ document, but that would require a future bond measure of more than $2 billion.
The other side: "At some point in the future, it provides an opportunity to fully replace Ben Taub Hospital if the community supports that," Harris Health spokesperson Bryan McLeod tells Axios. "We won't be in the position to even ask for additional money for many, many years."
- "Harris Health doesn't believe there is any legal reason to not be able to build on that property," McLeod said.
What's next: Commissioners meet at 9am Thursday.