Finally—a Levitt Pavilion for Houston!

Plans for the venue
Willow Waterhole Greenway was chosen in 2013 through a competitive process by the Levitt Foundation as the site for Levitt Pavilion Houston. Originally the site was to be on the banks of Willow Lake, just a stone’s throw from South Post Oak Road.

In 2018, site planning was interrupted by the Harris County Toll Road Authority, which began studying the feasibility of extending and elevating the Fort Bend Tollway from S. Main St. north on S. Post Oak Rd. to connect to I-610 Loop. Because of the uncertainty of the design, and when or whether this toll road might be built, Friends of Levitt Pavilion had no choice but to look elsewhere for a site. In 2019, the Levitt Pavilion Houston Board was told that the Shell Oil Gasmer Technology Center site was for sale. After much advocacy and lobbying by the Westbury community, the City of Houston bought the 29 acres and reserved a section for the future site of Levitt Pavilion Houston.

Brays Oaks Management District is leading the master-planning process for the new 29-acre park, renamed Energy Capital Park. In spring 2022, a Master Plan was presented that incorporatedmany elements already on the site. One of the existing Shell Oil structures will be repurposed as a visitors center. The 10,000-square-foot administration building will be renovated and used as a southwest Houston community center. The 100-foot Spindletop-like oil derrick and 120-foot-tall gantry crane will be integrated into the new campus.

The pavilion’s stage—facing southeast away from nearby neighborhoods—will have a lawn seating area accommodating 5,000 attendees. The master plan includes restrooms and parking to be shared by Energy Capital Park, Levitt Pavilion Houston, Willow Waterhole Greenway, and other community groups. The venue will be family friendly and wheelchair accessible. The master plan connects the new site with Willow Waterhole Greenway so that going from one to the other will feel like a seamless “green” transition.

Planning and building Levitt Pavilion Houston will require generous support from foundations, corporations, other organizations, and individuals. We hope you’ll consider supporting our efforts.