View source for Ensemble/HCC station

{{Short description|Light rail station Houston, Texas, US}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox station
| name               = Ensemble/HCC
| image              = HCC-Ensemble Metro Rail Stop.JPG
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = 
| address            = '''Northbound:''' 3509 Main Street<br />'''Southbound:''' 3604 Main Street
| borough            = Houston, Texas
| coordinates        = {{Coord|29|44|21.96|N|95|22|43.62|W|type:railwaystation_region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
| line               = {{rint|houston|red}} [[North/Red Line (METRORail)|Red Line]]
| other              = {{rint|bus|1}} '''[[Houston Metro|METRO]]:''' 9, 82, 291
| structure          = At-grade
| platform           = Two [[island platform]]s
| tracks             = Two
| parking            = 
| bicycle            = 
| baggage_check      = 
| passengers         = 
| pass_year          = 
| pass_percent       = 
| pass_system        = Qcard
| opened             = {{start date and age|2004|01|01}}<ref name="January 1, 2004">{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Lucas |date=January 1, 2004 |title=New ride for the new year: Festivals mark inaugural day for Metro train |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0FFD30926CA496FD |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]] |page= |pages=A1 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>
| closed             = 
| rebuilt            = 
| accessible         = Yes
| code               = 
| owned              = [[Houston Metro|Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County]]
| zone               = 
| services           = {{Adjacent stations|system=METRORail|line=Red|left=Wheeler|right=McGowen}}
| mpassengers        = 
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-custom    = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail-light |marker-color=#{{rcr|METRORail|Red}} |zoom=15 }}
}}

'''Ensemble/HCC''' is a [[light rail]] station in [[Houston]], [[Texas]], [[United States]]. The station is operated by the [[Houston Metro|Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County]] (METRO) and serves the [[METRORail Red Line|Red Line]] of its [[METRORail]] system.

The station is located in the [[Midtown, Houston|Midtown]] neighborhood at the intersection of Main and Berry Street.{{Efn|The station is located within both the [https://midtownsn.org/ Midtown Super Neighborhood]<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Neighborhood Resource Assessment: Midtown |url=https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Demographics/docs_pdfs/SN/62_Midtown.pdf |website=Planning & Development Department |publisher=[[Houston|City of Houston]] |pages=3–4}}</ref> and the [https://midtownhouston.com/ Midtown Management District].<ref>{{cite web |title=Midtown Land Use & Development Map |url=http://www.houstonmidtown.com/cmsFiles/Files/Midtown_DevMap_1206.pdf |website=[[Midtown, Houston|Midtown Houston]] |publisher=Midtown Management District |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203060535/http://www.houstonmidtown.com/cmsFiles/Files/Midtown_DevMap_1206.pdf |archive-date=2008-12-03}}</ref>}} The station is adjacent to [[The Ensemble Theatre]] and two blocks west of [[Houston Community College]] Central Campus, which together give the station its name.

== History ==
In 2001, METRO broke ground on its first light rail line, which passed through Midtown along Main Street. Plans for the line included a station at Berry Street due to its proximity to a Houston Community College campus.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sallee |first=Rad |last2=Christian |first2=Carol |date=2001-04-01 |title=Rail means big changes for Main corridor: Line to disrupt routines of `stakeholders' |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EB4859CA929BD52 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]] |pages=A31 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>

METRO staff tentatively named the station '''Berry/HCC'''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sallee |first=Rad |date=2001-07-25 |title=Metro ready to name 16 rail stations |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0ED810D5D7D68393 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]] |pages=A10 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref> Following this, two local organizations, namely The Ensemble Theatre and [[Trinity Episcopal Church (Houston)|Trinity Episcopal Church]], requested that their names be incorporated into the station, proposing the name '''Holman/HCC/Ensemble/Trinity'''.{{Efn|Holman Street is directly north of the station.}} The proposal had the support of [[List of mayors of Houston|Houston mayor]] [[Lee P. Brown|Lee Brown]]. Due to concerns about the name's length, the METRO board ultimately settled on '''Ensemble/HCC''', which was approved by a 4-3 vote. This was the only station name that was changed from METRO's original proposal.<ref name="July 27, 2001">{{cite news |last=Sallee |first=Rad |date=July 27, 2001 |title=Metro names rail boarding stations: One stop recognizes black theater group |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0ED8BBD1CE923F50 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]] |page= |pages=A27 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>

The station was opened on January 1, 2004 as one of sixteen inaugural METRORail stations. An opening ceremony at the station featured [[jazz]] music, theatrical performances, tours of Trinity Episcopal Church, and a live remote broadcast by [[KMJQ]].<ref name="January 1, 2004" />

In 2007, METRO purchased two blocks of land on the western side of the station for $7.2 million. The land was purchased on behalf of developer RHS Interests, who planned to build a [[transit-oriented development]] on the site.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sallee |first=Rad |date=2007-04-06 |title=Metro can't have it both ways, tax officials say: It likely has to pay levy on land it's holding for private developer |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1185B9055A26DEB8 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]] |pages=A1 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sarnoff |first=Nancy |date=2008-06-01 |title=Investors have deal to buy Midtown land from Metro |url=https://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Investors-have-deal-to-buy-Midtown-land-from-Metro-1765717.php |work=[[Houston Chronicle|Chron]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications|Hearst Corporation]]}}</ref>

In April 2013, a [[BCycle]] [[Bicycle-sharing system|bike sharing]] kiosk was installed at the station.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-03 |title=Houston Bike SHARE Program Expands Fleet To Include 21 B-Cycle Stations |url=http://houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20130403.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424063358/http://houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20130403.html |archive-date=2013-04-24 |website=[[Houston|City of Houston]] |publisher=}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Redstations}}
{{Midtown, Houston}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ensemble Hcc (Metrorail Station)}}
[[Category:METRORail stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 2004]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Texas at university and college campuses]]
[[Category:Midtown, Houston]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Harris County, Texas]]


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