Category Archives: Elsewhere in Houston

Ike rebuilding funds finally coming

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

About time. More than 3½ years after Hurricane Ike, a high-ranking federal housing official and Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday that $151 million in federal disaster relief money is on the way to four areas of Houston to rebuild or … Continue reading →

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A good year for real estate

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Area housing prices will rise this year amid a strong local economy and a limited supply, economist Ted C. Jones said Tuesday at an annual symposium on real estate and the economy. Apartment rents could go up as … Continue reading →

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Salvaging the Dome

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one way to keep demolition costs down. Picture a urinal in the basement of the Reliant Astrodome — a block of dusty porcelain, used by Earl Campbell or Nolan Ryan, or any other Oilers or Astros great. How much … Continue reading →

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Lemonade Day

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time for Lemonade Day again this Sunday. As was the case last year, Olivia will be running a stand. If you’re friends with me on Facebook you can click on my page for details. Olivia will also be helping … Continue reading →

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Signs of life at Regent Square?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: HERE’S A LATE addition to the demolition of the Allen House Apartments, the first portions of which went down in 2007, in anticipation of the giant Regent Square mixed-use developmentin North Montrose that never happened — or rather, hasn’t yet.The smashing of one Allen … Continue reading →

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Going green to save some green

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston has made significant investments in energy savings. The U.S. Conference of Mayors named Mayor Annise Parker the winner of Mayors’ Climate Protection Award last year for green building initiatives that incentivize conservation and energy-efficient design features. … Continue reading →

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Shrinking the Astrodome

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You know what we need? Another crazy scheme to save the Astrodome, that’s what. Houston architect Imad Abdullah presented the most recent plan to save the Astrodome to Harris County Commissioners recently. But the same question remains: How to pay … Continue reading →

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See you later, alligator

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In some parts of town, it’s more like See you sooner or later, alligator. This time of year, the proprietor of Janik Alligators in El Campo spends much of his time trying to keep that scenario from happening. In the … Continue reading →

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How much would it really cost to tear down the Astrodome?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Perhaps not as much as Harris Country officials have been saying. The expected price tag to demolish the Reliant Astrodome that Harris County officials have cited in recent years far exceeds the cost of razing other stadiums across the country, … Continue reading →

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Re-Plant Houston

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Memorial Park is about to get some needed attention. As last year’s drought killed thousands of trees in Memorial Park, caretakers realized it was time to speed the pace of a long-planned reforestation. On Friday, Mayor Annise Parker announced that … Continue reading →

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State of the City 2012

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting better. Saying Houston has “rounded the corner” on the recession, Mayor Annise Parker on Thursday credited City Hall with providing incentives that businesses used to create or retain 13,000 jobs and invest $1 billion locally during the tough … Continue reading →

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Unconventional

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Looking for something interesting to do today? Consider going to Rice’s UnConvention. For 100 years, Rice faculty, researchers and students have believed that anything is possible — that drive, devotion and innovative thinking can turn ideas into achievements. We call … Continue reading →

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Sugar Land has its own Ashby

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The unhappy dissenters part of it, anyway. The planned development of the city’s last piece of open land would turn the abandoned Imperial Sugar site – the very genesis of the city – into an $800 million urban space with … Continue reading →

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RIP, Bubba the roach

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another Houston institution bites the dust. For 42 years, a 2-ton sign featuring a neon-lighted cockroach blazed over the Southwest Freeway near Westpark, a garish but iconic advertisement for Holder’s Pest Control. The 8-foot-by-16-foot sign, nicknamed Bubba, was taken down … Continue reading →

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Still waiting on the new density rules

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

With all that went on last year in Houston, one item that had been on the table was a revision of Chapter 42, to redefine the rules about density and other codes for developers. The planned revisions never made it … Continue reading →

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HBU wants a name change

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Always a challenging task. Half a century after being founded by the Baptist General Convention of Texas as “a Christian college of the highest order,” Houston Baptist University may soon erase the religious designation in its name. Saying that the … Continue reading →

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Always in motion the future is

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

That won’t stop some people from trying to predict it. A Houston think tank has seen the city’s future. Make that two futures. One version shows the Houston metropolitan area in 2040 as beginning to grow after decades of economic … Continue reading →

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When will Ashby rise?

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Real Soon Now, developers promise. After more than four years in the works, the so-called Ashby high-rise is expected to break ground by year-end. A lawsuit keeping the project from being built was settled last week. The proposed building pitted … Continue reading →

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Hens for Houston

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Looking for a new cause to get involved in? Here’s a movement to allow people to raise hens in Houston. Vision: “Hens for Houston” is working to promote a sustainable and progressive Houston in which city dwellers can keep 4-6 … Continue reading →

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Houston may finally be drought-free

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This was from a week ago. The rain brings the city’s official precipitation total for the year to 15.78 inches, twice the normal level, and a tally Houston didn’t reach in 2011 until early November. On Sunday, for the second … Continue reading →

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A deluxe efficiency in the sky

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The hot trend in real estate is small apartments. Apartments in Houston are shrinking. As rents have gone up, developers have been building smaller units and a lot more of them to meet growing demand from apartment dwellers who want … Continue reading →

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Houston gets HUD grant to house the homeless

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Since we’ve been talking about homelessness recently, I thought I’d take note of this. Houston-area homeless programs will receive nearly $2.8 million in federal funding as part of an Obama administration plan to confront homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing … Continue reading →

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Mayor tells Ashby foes it’s over

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Annise Parker told the attendees at that neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposed settlement of the Ashby highrise lawsuit that it’s a done deal. “We have exhausted all legal means to stop this project,” said Parker, reiterating her opposition … Continue reading →

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Our diverse region

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. The Houston region is now the most ethnically diverse large metropolitan area in the country, surpassing New York City. Two suburbs – Missouri City and Pearland – have become even more diverse than the city of Houston. Other suburbs … Continue reading →

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City to meet with anti-Ashby forces

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if they’re at anger, denial, or bargaining yet, but we’ll know soon enough. The city of Houston plans to meet with residents of the Southampton and Boulevard neighborhoods March 12 to discuss the Ashby high-rise settlement. In … Continue reading →

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Feeding the homeless

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this. Mayor Annise Parker is asking the council to adopt rules that would require organizations and people who feed the homeless to register with the city, take a food safety class, prepare … Continue reading →

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Stephen Klineberg, superstar

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I want to see this. David Thompson and his colleagues at ttweak are best-known for their work on the quirky “Houston – It’s Worth It” campaign, paying homage to the yawning potholes, soul-sapping humidity and all the other things that … Continue reading →

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City to settle Ashby lawsuit

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another saga draws to a close. Mayor Annise Parker has sent a letter to residents of the Southampton area saying the city has no legal basis to stop developers from building the controversial Ashby high-rise as outlined in their 2009 … Continue reading →

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UH moves closer to Tier I status

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The University of Houston is on the verge of accessing additional state money that could help catapult the school closer to prestigious Tier 1 status, according to a preliminary report from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. … Continue reading →

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What’s to become of the downtown post office?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Gray writes about the future of the downtown post office on Franklin. In the past couple of years, there have been rumblings that the U.S. Postal Service plans to leave 401 Franklin and sell the 16-acre complex – a … Continue reading →

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UH Downtown drops open admissions

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

UH-Downtown took up the issue of adopting admissions standards last week. “It’s time and it’s the right thing to do,” said President William Flores, who began advocating for admissions standards shortly after taking over as president in 2009. “We’re building … Continue reading →

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Huts for the homeless?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of this. At-Large Position 5 Councilman Jack Christie used Wednesday’s pop-off to pitch an idea to his colleagues: huts for the homeless. Christie distributed a printout describing small huts built by a group called Mad Housers … Continue reading →

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LED power

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good for Harris County. The county is joining a growing list of local governments switching out incandescent bulbs for light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, embarking on a $1 million effort to begin replacing the bulbs at the 880 intersections it maintains. … Continue reading →

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Wayside Wal-Mart update

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Nancy Sarnoff: The East End of Houston has been called a “food desert” for its lack of grocery stores. But come next year, the area will be a little less dry. Wal-Mart Stores said it will open a store … Continue reading →

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