[Urbannizer]

Plans for botanic garden move forward, despite neighbors' protest

Until now, the proposed Houston Botanic Garden has delivered more pain than gain to some neighbors in the southeast quadrant of the city. The future garden site is still functioning as Glenbrook Golf Course, and some residents would rather keep it just as it is.

But as organizers have continued to meet with community members, tweak the master plan to include some of their suggestions, ratchet up fund-raising goals and exercise their option to lease the 120-acre site from the city, plans for the garden are taking shape.

In December, the group met its first fundraising goal of $5 million. The next goal is an additional $15 million by the end of 2017.

At that point, the group could begin construction, with the hope of opening to the public in 2020.

Ross prefers not to say how many millions more will need to be raised but says that fundraising will be done in multiple phases over a span of 20 to 30 years.