Press Release

Houston Parks and Recreation Department
2999 South Wayside
Houston, TX 77023
Office: (832) 395-7022
Cell: (832) 465-4782

 Hogg Bird Sanctuary Reaps $400K Plus Benefit

From New MFAH Bayou Bend Kilroy Visitor Center

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s new Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens and the Hogg Bird Sanctuary bring art, environment and community together in a masterful design by McDugald-Steele Landscape Architects.  Set to open Saturday, September 25, 2010, the new Kilroy Center will serve as a “natural entryway” into Ima Hogg’s most beloved treasures, Bayou Bend and the Hogg Bird Sanctuary. The new center and its grounds incorporate environmentally sensitive construction and energy efficiency techniques, erosion mitigation and invasive species reduction in addition to landscape designs that total a $400K plus benefit to the Hogg Bird Sanctuary.

“Never in our most heartfelt dreams could we have been able to bring such added value to the Hogg Bird Sanctuary without the partnership of the MFAH,” said Joe Turner, Director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department.  “Our horticulturists, working closely with the MFAH, have worked to see that Miss Hogg’s intent for the area was preserved. The result is an ecologically friendly area that incorporates native plants and natural drainage into the design and gives visitors a beautiful transition from the natural park area to the manicured lawns of Bayou Bend.”

MFAH Director Peter C. Marzio commented, “The legacy of Ima Hogg is both with the museum and with her family’s support of the natural environment. This has been a perfect partnership, one that speaks to how profoundly she and her family continue to have a lasting impact on Houston.”

The new Kilroy Center’s building and landscape designs are not only beautiful but help address two of the most severe problems faced by the Hogg Bird Sanctuary: erosion and encroachment by invasive plant species.

“Several hundred foreign invasive plants, including ligustrum, privet and golden rain trees, had established themselves in this area. This project helped us preserve the integrity of Hogg Bird Sanctuary by removing the invasives that had found their way into this area,” said TJ Marks, Division Manager, Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

Additional work has included a new irrigation system, environmentally friendly lighting for access during night time events at Bayou Bend, and a new pathway to connect all three facilities, the Kilroy Center, the Hogg Bird Sanctuary and Bayou Bend.

About the Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center

The new Kilroy Center will serve as a destination resource dedicated to American art, culture, and history, one that will foster a greater understanding of Bayou Bend’s unique contributions to the field through its collections, its architecture, and its surrounding gardens and woodlands.  Its two-story, 18,000-square-foot building has been designed by Houston architect Leslie K. Elkins, AIA, with production architect Larry Burns of Kendall/Heaton Associates, Inc., and built by W. S. Bellows Construction. The Kilroy Center has achieved Silver LEED-certified status for its environmentally sensitive construction and energy efficiency. The Center’s two acres of grounds have been designed by McDugald-Steele Landscape Architects of Houston.

About the Houston Parks and Recreation Department