Tag Archives: Houston

Houston bidding for another NBA All Star Game

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them good luck with that. Rockets CEO Tad Brown has often said that the Rockets have pursued another All-Star weekend since the 2006 event in Houston ended, but he said Tuesday that he was more confident than ever … Continue reading →

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Beautifying the bayous

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. A local nonprofit hopes its $55 million plan to overhaul 158 acres of parkland along Buffalo Bayou west of downtown will transform the area into an iconic green space for Houston. The Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s plan calls for … Continue reading →

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Get your HISD budget questions answered

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: HISD to Host Live Television Show to Focus on State Budget and its Effects on HISD Viewers can call in, email, and tweet their comments and questions about the district’s budget review and planning process What: “HISD … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

City to get tough on debt collections

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a no-brainer. The city is getting tough on users of its services who have racked up nearly $1 billion in unpaid fines and fees, unveiling an aggressive collection program that is expected to make frequent use of litigation. … Continue reading →

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Census data is out

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Start firing up the mapmaking units. U.S. Census data released today shows the Hispanic population in Texas increased by 42 percent since 2000, and the group now makes up 38 percent of the population. Texas’ population is now 25,145,561. That’s … Continue reading →

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Metro in the President’s budget

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They did all right. Houston Metro’s expansion is getting a $200 million boost in Obama’s budget request to Congress. The money for the North Corridor and the Southeast Corridor projects is $50 million more than the $150 million set aside … Continue reading →

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You should now be avoiding Buffalo Speedway

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Road work designed to solve traffic jams at Buffalo Speedway and U.S. 59 is scheduled to get under way Tuesday, Feb. 15. Work will begin on the east side of Buffalo Speedway between Bissonnet Drive and U.S. 59, with … Continue reading →

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Census data is on its way

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Via Greg, who is predictably jazzed about it, the state of Texas expects its detailed Census data this week, meaning that the redistricting battle is set to begin in earnest. Demographers expect the data to validate projections of surging growth … Continue reading →

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What about Bob?

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Chron columnist Jerome Solomon has a question for Houston Texans owner Bob McNair. Texans owner Bob McNair, who won’t talk about the CBA negotiations, should come out strongly against a lockout. Though he has pocketed plenty as an NFL owner, … Continue reading →

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Metro seeks input for commuter rail line to Fort Bend

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Metro is taking another step forward on the commuter rail line along US 90A to Fort Bend County that was part of the 2003 Metro Solutions referendum. Kimberly Slaughter, Senior Vice President of Service Design & Development for Metro, unveiled … Continue reading →

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About those land sales…

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The current fiscal year’s budget for the City of Houston includes revenue from the sale of some city-owned property to make it balance. This article talks about this and what might happen if they don’t sell before the end of … Continue reading →

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The Studemont Kroger

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot: Kroger has bought 8.5 acres of former industrial land on Studemont, just south of I-10, the Chronicle‘s Purva Patel reports. The land, which was once part of Houston’s Sixth Ward, sits just north of Arne’s Warehouse and Party Store … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Wayside Wal-Mart

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For what it’s worth, I don’t have an opinion about the new Wal-Mart at I-45 and Wayside, whether it’s a Super Center or not. Other than a few comments at Swamplot and on the Stop Heights Wal-Mart Facebook page, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Who’s got a treasurer?

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Noel Freeman, in a note on his Facebook page takes a look at who has filed a proper treasurer appointment for a City Council race, and who has not. (He did a “who’s in so far” report in 2009, too.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How Houston commutes

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Great post from Greg that looks at how people in some Census tracts get to work. One point to highlight: The Solo Drivers … This is an obviously large portion of the population. But there are some very interesting variations … Continue reading →

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More on the KTRU/KPFT deal

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After I read about the KTRU/KPFT deal, in which KTRU will broadcast over one of KPFT’s HD radio channels, I wondered what the folks at Save KTRU thought of it. At the time I posted, there wasn’t anything on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Study says red light cameras save lives

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Now they tell us. In a study released on Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that red-light cameras could save lives. The findings by the institute, a nonprofit group funded by the insurance industry, found that from 2004-8 … Continue reading →

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KTRU joins forces with KPFT

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

KTRU will broadcast over the air again, just from a different spot on the dial. [Rice University] said Saturday that KTRU will broadcast over a digital channel assigned to radio station KPFT, beginning Feb. 14. “We’re excited,” said Joey Yang, … Continue reading →

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Dynamo Stadium groundbreaking today

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I presume things will be sufficiently de-iced for the ceremony today at 2 PM at the stadium site in the East End. The stadium will have 22,000 seats, and the expansion capacity will be 30,000 over 340,000 square feet. Populous, … Continue reading →

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When the Love Boat goes condo

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That was my reaction when I read this. Minnesota-based River Cities is proposing a floating condo community that would be based in Houston. The developer, which is targeting retirees, is showing a model condo at the Marina Del Sol in … Continue reading →

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More drainage fee details

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Things are moving right along on the implementation of Renew Rebuild Houston. Senior Parker administration officials Wednesday revealed the remaining elements of the plan, which would charge an owner of an average-sized Houston home between $5 and $5.31 monthly, depending … Continue reading →

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Council gives final approval to Dynamo Stadium deal

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The last hurdle has officially been cleared. With two unanimous votes at City Council on Wednesday, the Dynamo cleared the last public hurdles they need to build their new stadium on the East End. “I think it’s a very important … Continue reading →

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Yet another threat to light rail expansion

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Great. The House could vote as soon as mid-February on a plan by the conservative House Republican Study Committee to end the 35-year-old Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” program,” which pours $2 billion-a-year into urban transit projects such as Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Dynamo Stadium rebate plan

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. The city is poised to strike a 30-year deal giving back $3 million in projected sales tax to the Houston Dynamo as they prepare to construct their $60 million stadium. City officials say the tax rebate … Continue reading →

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On garbage fees and single stream recycling

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You might have seen this blurb a few days ago about Solid Waste director Harry Hayes making a pitch to Mayor Parker to expand single stream recycling to every home in Houston: To reach 100 percent, Hayes told City Council … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Feldman

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The main focus in Houston over the next few months will be Council expansion and redistricting. One of the people who will do the heavy lifting on this is City Attorney David Feldman. If you haven’t watched this video from … Continue reading →

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Coming soon to an empty lot near me

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some neighborhood news from Swamplot. Details on the 6-story mixed-use building being planned for the corner of Studewood and 11th 1/2 St. in the Heights will be announced “very soon,” a representative of the new property owner promises Swamplot. […] … Continue reading →

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Effect of exempting schools and churches on drainage fee would be small

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the drainage fee that will be collected to fund street and sewage repairs through the project formerly known as Renew Houston is intended to apply to all property that isn’t specifically exempted by state law, such as … Continue reading →

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Still more on magnet schools

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So what do we know about HISD’s magnet schools and that consultant’s report that recommended some hefty changes to them? Well, other than the consultants themselves, no one likes the report very much. The message was clear at Lamar High … Continue reading →

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Dynamo Stadium groundbreaking delayed

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Groundbreaking for Dynamo Stadium was originally scheduled for this Saturday the 29th, but due to a delay with City Council it has been put off till next week. Because the city council has not yet voted on the Tax Increment … Continue reading →

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A very early look at 2011 fundraising

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of weeks ago I took an early look at the 2011 city elections, but there was a key ingredient missing in that analysis: Money. The fundraising season for city candidates, which has been closed since last January, will … Continue reading →

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The Ainbinder traffic impact analysis for the Height Wal-Mart

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

When last we discussed the Heights Wal-Mart development, we were awaiting a traffic impact analysis (TIA) on the roads around the site, which was to be done on behalf of Ainbinder, the developer of the project. For your perusal, here … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Some day, we will do something about the Astrodome

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So says Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. “We on the Commissioners’ Court are going to have to make a decision, and I think it needs to be made this year, as to what we are going to propose to the … Continue reading →

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County asks about exemption from drainage fee

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez has asked County Attorney Vince Ryan for an opinion on whether the county has to pay the city of Houston’s new drainage fee. Sanchez already has his own opinion. “You’re getting a government, the city of Houston, … Continue reading →

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