A Commercial Award of Excellence is given for the restoration of the Eldorado Ballroom, a Streamline Moderne style building completed in 1939 by architect Lenard Gabert. This project resurrects a vital piece of African American cultural history in Houston's Third Ward, honoring its legacy as the premier destination for live music and celebrations for Houston’s Black community during the Jim Crow era. Established in 1939 by Anna and Clarence Dupree, the Eldorado Ballroom helped shape the careers of local and national artists, hosting legendary musicians like Arnett Cobb, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and Jewel Brown. In the early 1970s, after three vibrant decades, tensions with police, a changing musical scene, and newly desegregated venues led the Ballroom to close. In 1999, it was gifted to Project Row Houses, a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. After partial renovations, it reopened as a rental event space in 2003. A full restoration began in earnest in 2020, despite general uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Work included preservation of the exterior stucco and brick, restoring historic finishes and windows, and introducing custom aluminum windows to match historic profiles. The interior spaces were sensitively updated with new wood paneling and a historic-influenced bar. An accessible rear addition, enhanced parking facilities, and landscaped outdoor spaces, were seamlessly integrated. 

Project Row Houses

Stern and Bucek Architects (Architect); Ward, Getz and Associates (Civil Engineering); LTY Engineers (MEP Engineering); Charles D. Gooden Consulting Engineers (Structural Engineering); Ulrich Engineers, Inc. (Geotechnical Engineering); Apollo BBC (Building Science Engineering); Lauren Griffth Associates (Landscape Architect); S.L Anderson Company (Arborist); Cleve Tuttle (Graphics & Tenant Design)