Dominic Anthony Walsh/Houston Public Media

A section of Polk Street connecting Houston's East End to downtown is slated to close Wednesday — and it's unclear if it will ever reopen. The street is the primary thoroughfare to downtown for many eastside drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and it's been the subject of contentious debate over the course of the year.

The city's tourism and convention arm, Houston First Corporation, is seeking a permanent closure of the two-block section next to the George R. Brown Convention Center ahead of its $2 billion expansion in the coming years . Over the opposition of some East End community members, the Houston City Council took a step toward approving the plan in October when it passed the first of two votes as part of the abandonment process.

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