The Houston City Council is considering the future of property it owns near Houston Elementary School.
The tract — commonly referred to as the Forbes property — was purchased in 2013. Some council members wonder if it should be sold.
Last Tuesday, City Administrator Tona Bowen sought council members’ opinions on the property that is bordered by Chestnut and King streets and Hawthorn Ave. It is one block south of Houston Elementary School.
The property was purchased for $80,000 and the city spent another $25,000 to remove two houses on it.
A goal of the Houston Parks and Recreation Board, said Mayor Don Tottingham, is to construct a recreational center. Such an effort, he said, likely would include some type of bond issue. No location has been selected. Such a project would likely require a larger tract of property, and it couldn’t be accommodated on the Forbes property, some of the council said.
Members are expected to discuss the matter at the Feb. 5 meeting.