HOUSTON – The Houston Sports Awards held in downtown Houston on Thursday night brought out many of the incredible, legendary sports heroes that Houston calls its own.
After a night of handing out awards and honoring the trio of greats to wear No. 34 in Houston -- Nolan Ryan, Earl Campbell and Hakeem Olajuwon -- the Harris County Houston Sports Authority, which put together the incredible event, made one more major announcement.
They announced the creation of a Houston Sports Hall of Fame to be located in downtown Houston. According to the announcement, it will be located downtown at Green Street, and the first phase of the project will include a Walk of Fame stretching from the House of Blues through the Green Street Promenade.
The Sports Authority also announced the first class of inductees would consist of Ryan, Campbell and Olajuwon.
WATCH: 2018 Houston Sports Awards
"Houston is such a great sports town, such great fans, and as we were dreaming and envisioning what tonight would look like, it just kind of fell into place that we should also have a Hall of Fame,” said Sports Authority CEO Janis Schmees-Burke.
"There will be a sidewalk with their name and a star with their team and their number. It’s between where the House of Blues starts and through that (row of restaurants). Eventually, that sidewalk will be full,” Burke said.
Future phases in the works include multiple state-of-the-art video displays and interactive experiences and will culminate in 3,500 square feet of interior space.