HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A day after ABC 13 broke the story that descendants of the family who donated a part of Hermann Park would like the area to remain green space, the CEO of Harris Health confirmed he is not backing down from efforts to condemn the land.
“It’s a win-win-win,” that’s how Harris Health CEO Dr. Ismaeil Porsa describes his controversial plan to condemn nine acres of Hermann Park to expand Ben Taub Hospital.
“This is not a land grab. This is not a power grab,” Dr. Porsa said. “This is truly the only way that I see we can ensure a future for Ben Taub Hospital, for it to be a viable solution for the healthcare of this county that’s only growing.”
Dr. Porsa says if the condemnation goes through, the land Ben Laub sits on now will “someday” be deeded to Hermann Park as part of a land swap. He says that means technically Hermann Park will eventually have more land. However, there is no timeline for that, as all of these are just plans as of right now.
What is clear is that in 1914, August Warneke’s family deeded this section of land to the City of Houston with the explicit direction that it serves as parkland. The deed makes it clear that if ever the City of Houston no longer wants to use it as a park, the property will revert to the descendants.
What this means, and Dr. Porsa confirms, is that Harris Health would have to fairly compensate the descendants, and real estate experts say the commercial value of this land is extraordinary.
“This is prime commercial development,” real estate expert Bill Baldwin says. Baldwin consulted with several commercial real estate specialists on the market value of the property. “This could be high-rise condos, commercial, mixed-use. You got to think, $125 a foot to high-end, $150 a foot, that’s $50 million (for the entire property), give or take a few.”
When asked how much Harris Health is willing to pay for the land, Dr. Porsa declined to comment. But for Bonnie McMillian, the second great-granddaughter of August Warneke, her question is this: Even if Harris Health can pay the price tag, should they?
“I don’t think (August Warneke) would like it at all,” she told us on Thursday. “He was quite a character. I think the spirit of the donation was to keep it parkland.”
Harris Health says its lawyers believe there are 80 descendants and will be contacting them all before the condemnation process is over.
“Harris Health is going to spend millions of dollars to identify every single person who has a right to this land,” Dr. Porsa said.
Friday evening, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department released a statement:
“The City is carefully evaluating all available options and recognizes the critical importance of expanding emergency health care services to better serve the community. The Parks Dept remains dedicated to the stewardship, maintenance, and preservation of the public parkland entrusted to our care. We are committed to working collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes that support all needs of our constituents.”
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