Tag Archives: construction

An outsider’s view of the Ashby Highrise

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Governing.com. It contains the Z word, so you might want to shield the eyes of innocent children and Joel Kotkin. Whatever views one may hold about a city without zoning, it’s hard to deny that Houston has done pretty … Continue reading →

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Transforming the GRB Convention Center

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think I’d realized that there was a renovation of the George R. Brown Convention Center in the works, but after reading this story, I’m excited about it. By late next year, people strolling the George R. Brown Convention … Continue reading →

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More on San Felipe Highrise Lawsuit II

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story on the latest adventure in urban planning via the courtroom. The basics are covered here so I’m going to cut to the speculation about effect. Observers have said the Ashby case could have an effect on … Continue reading →

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Council approves funds for Harrisburg Line overpass

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Progress! The City Council is set to decide Wednesday whether to give Metro $10 million to accommodate traffic as well as trains on a controversial overpass the transit agency plans to build along its Green Line light rail route. The … Continue reading →

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How are those new Chapter 42 regs working?

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A little too soon to tell. Planning and Development Director Patrick Walsh said the changes were designed to make the city competitive with its suburbs by creating more housing options, holding down prices and spurring redevelopment outside the Loop. “It’s … Continue reading →

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Studemont Junction

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot has an update and some pictures from the to-be-redeveloped Grocer’s Supply truck lot near Studemont and I-10, basically on the north doorstep of my neighborhood. SIGNS ARE UP at the soon-to-be-former Grocers Supply distribution center across Studemont from Kroger … Continue reading →

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Holmes Road

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It kind of blows my mind that something like this could be the case in 2014 in Houston. Holmes Road in south Houston, for a stretch, feels less like a city street and more like a weathered country road in … Continue reading →

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Metro still aiming for an overpass

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be glad when this is settled. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said they must consider the need to extend the line east of Hughes Road, the potentially costly and time-consuming underpass construction, and the potential environment fallout after a discovery … Continue reading →

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Judge will allow Ashby to rise

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We have a decision. Developers can move forward with the proposed Ashby high-rise after a much-anticipated ruling Thursday by a judge who agreed the tower is a nuisance for its immediate neighbors but concluded there was no way he could … Continue reading →

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Everybody wants to help the judge rule on the Ashby lawsuit

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I really don’t envy Judge Randy Wilson the task he has. Lawyers aren’t the only ones peppering the judge in the Ashby high-rise case with last-minute paperwork. A former city councilman, a pro-developer interest group and residents who live near … Continue reading →

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Will the Ashby Highrise ever be built?

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reviews the bidding so far prior to Monday’s Ashby hearing. Key to the jury’s finding was that the project should be considered a nuisance. The residents’ attorneys will ask the judge to grant a permanent injunction for the … Continue reading →

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East Enders want the underpass

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re talking about the long-debated Harrisburg rail line extension, for which three residents of the East End took to the Chron op-ed pages to make their case for their preferred solution. East End residents worked for years with Metro to … Continue reading →

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City asks court to let Ashby Highrise be built

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The city on Friday asked a judge to let the Ashby high-rise project go forward after seven years of wrangling and a recent jury verdict in favor of nearby residents who oppose the 21-story tower planned for 1717 Bissonnet. … Continue reading →

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HCC has not begun any 2012 bond construction yet

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t realized it was taking this long. A divided Houston Community College board has failed to approve construction contracts for its November 2012 voter-approved bond program, potentially costing the college system tens of millions of dollars in fines. The … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT update

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: HERE ARE SOME of the purty watercolor renderings the Uptown District has been presenting of what Post Oak Blvd. will look like after the addition of 2 dedicated bus lanes down its middle. The proposed changes to the … Continue reading →

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The Super Bowl is making us get stuff done

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. The 2017 Super Bowl not only will drive thousands of football fans to Houston, it will put a hard deadline on projects from office and hotel construction to a light-rail extension, a … Continue reading →

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When are we getting those trains again?

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Metro board has some doubts about railcar manufacturer CAF’s ability to keep its promises. Houston transit officials, worried that the light rail system might run short of trains for months after two new lines open, are not satisfied with … Continue reading →

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Tesla and Texas

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Tesla Motors currently can’t sell its cars in Texas via its preferred model of direct sales to consumers. Its attempts to modify state laws to allow for direct sales went nowhere last session, blocked by fierce opposition from the Texas … Continue reading →

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Pearland Presidential Head Park gets different development

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What could have been, Pearland. What could have been. A 48-acre swath of land that once was envisioned as a park to showcase oversize busts of U.S. presidents has attracted a Chinese developer to Pearland. Beijing-based Modern Green Development, an … Continue reading →

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Leaning towards the over

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Metro is working on a solution to the Harrisburg Line over/underpass problem. “We want the community involved and for this to be as open and honest as possible,” [Metro Board Chair Gilbert] Garcia said. Before Metro makes a decision, Garcia … Continue reading →

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Is it all over for the Harrisburg Line underpass?

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Despite earlier agreement between Metro, residents, and the city to build an underpass for the far end of the Harrisburg line, it’s not looking too good for that option right now. Residents of Houston’s East End supported a 2003 transit … Continue reading →

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Finally doing that front door facelift

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Renovations started this week on the historic Sunset Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing on the north end of downtown. The more than 100-year-old structure, now behind a fence as construction begins, is getting a $5.3 million … Continue reading →

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North Line opening today

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: ALL ABOARD FOR SATURDAY RAIL ROLL-OUT METRO is inviting the public to get on board for the Saturday, Dec. 21 grand opening of the new 5.3-mile North/Red Line! Riding the train will be free all day as part of the grand opening celebration taking … Continue reading →

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Food deserts and booze bans

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. A city ordinance intended to keep alcohol sales at a distance from schools and churches could be relaxed for grocery stores in an effort to alleviate some of the so-called “food deserts” that plague poorer neighborhoods across Houston. … Continue reading →

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Ashby plaintiffs score a win

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Most of them, anyway. A Harris County jury sided with residents of a neighborhood near Rice University and awarded some of them damages totaling close to $1.7 million in their fight to keep developers from building a 21-story high-rise in … Continue reading →

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North Line opens this Saturday

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Exciting times. Two major transportation projects scheduled to open in Houston this week – perhaps on the same day – represent distinct and sometimes warring visions of regional mobility and growth. On Saturday, the Metropolitan Transit Authority will open its … Continue reading →

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Karbach set to expand

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Fast-growing Karbach Brewing Co. intends next year to build a new brewery that will give it the capacity to make three times as much beer as it has made in 2013 and, eventually, several times that. The … Continue reading →

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Back to private investors for the Dome

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Commissioner El Franco Lee, whose Precinct 1 is home to the county-owned Dome, said Commissioners Court is “not under any time constraint” in deciding what to do with the vacant stadium. “The only constraint we’re under is … Continue reading →

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Ashby Highrise trial begins today

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This has been a long time coming. The case in state District Judge Randy Wilson’s court will begin Tuesday and is expected to last four weeks. A jury will hear from the parties involved and experts on both sides to … Continue reading →

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Reminder: I-45 public meeting tonight

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From The Highwayman: As officials take another step in the process of widening Interstate 45 from downtown north to the Sam Houston Tollway, one option to essentially make the teardrop-shaped inner loop created by I-45 and U.S. 59 an odd … Continue reading →

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Third public meeting for I-45 widening

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the I-45 Coalition, via the inbox: TxDOT is starting to roll again on the I-45 project!   TxDOT has just scheduled the 3rd round of public meetings to be held Thursday, Nov 14 at Aldine Ninth Grade School, 10650 North … Continue reading →

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Southwest breaks ground at Hobby

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready to dodge construction at Hobby Airport. The 280,000-square-foot expansion is scheduled for completion before the end of 2015, with short-hop international flights to cities in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America to begin by 2016. This … Continue reading →

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Ashby lawsuit to proceed

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be darned. A judge has declined to dismiss a key piece of a lawsuit against the developers of 1717 Bissonnet, a proposed 21-story residential building widely referred to as the Ashby high-rise. The developers were denied a request that … Continue reading →

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So what is the capacity of the Katy Freeway these days?

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story was about the increase in the toll on the managed lanes of the Katy Freeway, but there was a tidbit at the end that caught my eye. When officials started widening the freeway in 2003, at an eventual … Continue reading →

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