Tag Archives: construction

We don’t need another vote on the Astrodome

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not for this we don’t, anyway. Less than five months ago, the future of the Astrodome seemed to be more secure than it has been in the decades since it hosted its last Astros game, with Harris County commissioners moving … Continue reading →

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Yale Street Bridge reopens

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Woo hoo! Heights area residents woke up Tuesday to a bright sunny day in more ways than one, finding that crews had opened the new Yale Bridge spanning White Oak Bayou. The opening late Monday is roughly 10 months ahead … Continue reading →

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Here comes the fully extended Green Line

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Oh what a rocky ride it’s been. Political opposition. A Buy America violation. Construction delays. Contaminated soil that sank an underpass. Overweight and badly-manufactured railcars. More construction delays. When trains finally start rolling along the new Green Line into … Continue reading →

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More MUD muddles

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs collateral? When Houston businessman David Lucyk decided to develop land in northeast Harris County, he lined up a bank loan to pay for water pipes, sewers, roads and a stormwater detention pond. He offered the bank three items … Continue reading →

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Yale Street bridge reopening sooner than expected

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Christmas 2017 is coming very early for Heights area commuters, now that transportation officials have confirmed that the new Yale Street bridge will open in early February – roughly 10 months ahead of the previous schedule. “They’re working fast,” … Continue reading →

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More bayou bike trails

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Laying out the particulars for a new trail section along White Oak Bayou, Chip Place saw something out of place where the trail crossed the Heights Hike and Bike Trail near T C Jester. It was the stairs connecting … Continue reading →

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Does it matter why infrastructure was improved?

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I say no, but maybe that’s just me. In the days leading up to the nation’s biggest sporting event, thousands of visitors will use Broadway to travel from the airport to downtown hotels and other spots. Work on gravel paths, … Continue reading →

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The Reliant Stadium area is ready for its closeup

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For the Super Bowl, of course. Gotta look pretty, you know. Currently, the area surrounding NRG Park, which includes NRG Stadium and the Astrodome, is “functional” but hardly an impression-maker for a throng of out-of-town guests, said Ed Wulfe, chairman … Continue reading →

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The Astrodome parking proposal is about to get real

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Harris County commissioners are poised to make their largest investment yet in the Astrodome’s future next week. They are slated to vote on the first piece of a $105 million plan to raise the ground level two … Continue reading →

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Abbott says something about high speed rail

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Something vague, and a bit confusing. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday expressed caution about high-speed rail in Texas, warning that any investment in transportation must not be a “money-losing proposition.” It was one of several notable topics that came up … Continue reading →

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Harris County to fix some Houston roads

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news from the inbox: As part of an agreement approved by Houston City Council today, Harris County Precinct 1 will pay for additional street improvements worth millions of dollars within the Houston city limits by year’s end. This … Continue reading →

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Harrisburg overpass nearing completion

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Six months ago, Harrisburg Boulevard looked almost exactly as it has for more than five years, dotted by construction equipment. East of downtown Houston, the thoroughfare was more exposed dirt than street, and showed little sign of the rail … Continue reading →

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Looking again for a new justice complex

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Got to do something about this sooner or later. Mayor Sylvester Turner has formed a committee to study how to acquire a new police headquarters and courts complex for Houston. Former mayor Annise Parker spent more than two years studying … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harrisburg overpass update

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. Right now the East End light rail line stops a few blocks short of the Magnolia Transit Center on Harrisburg. Metro was going to build an underpass at the Hughes Street railroad crossing, but cancelled those plans because of worries … Continue reading →

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I-45 onramp closures coming

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Texas Department of Transportation will close the Houston Avenue southbound and Allen Parkway eastbound entrance ramps to I-45 southbound on Friday, July 8 to begin construction on new ramps that will improve traffic flow and enhance … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT will be ready in 2019

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A little later than originally expected. Construction might be set to start soon on dedicated bus lanes down Post Oak through the Uptown area, but the latest projections don’t have riders on the lanes for nearly three years. Despite earlier … Continue reading →

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Still waiting for a design for I-45

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pull up a chair and relax, this could take awhile. After 15 years of discussion, study and ideas for improvements ranging from enormous tunnels to a massive circulating freeway loop, planners are still at least six months from unveiling their … Continue reading →

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Astrodome parking plan coming

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Better get ready. Harris County officials on Friday unveiled a $105 million plan to raise the floor of the Astrodome and build two new levels of parking beneath it, the strongest signal yet that the county plans to maintain and … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT construction officially begins

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Crews are relocating trees in preparation for two years of construction, starting in July. The Uptown Dedicated Bus Lanes Project will unfold in three phases, moving from north to south and starting with the West Loop to … Continue reading →

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On big money high school stadiums

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly is against ’em. As a part of a $220 million bond package, McKinney ISD is adding an opulent events center and 12,000-seat high school football stadium that will cost a total of $62.8 million. According to the Dallas … Continue reading →

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Memorial residents file lawsuit over flooding

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A group of residents sued the city of Houston and one of its local redevelopment authorities Wednesday, alleging that they approved commercial development in the Memorial City area without requiring adequate storm water mitigation, resulting … Continue reading →

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Turner reiterates the need to rethink transportation

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

New audience, same theme. Houston’s transportation future – and perhaps its economic vitality – relies on more options than new freeway lanes to make room for more cars, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday. “The solution is to increasingly take advantage … Continue reading →

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I-45 update: North St Bridge and more

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The latest update from the I-45 Coalition: Dear I-45 Coalition member, October 2015 was the last update … it’s now May 2016 … several things have changed in the past 8 months. As a quick summary, TxDOT will be rebuilding … Continue reading →

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Will the Ashby highrise ever get built?

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who knows? Penelope Loughhead’s house in the leafy neighborhood near Rice University abuts the land where, nearly a decade ago, a proposed high-rise sparked a land-use battle that resonated citywide and throughout the local development community. This week marks two … Continue reading →

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Help a brick out

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: AN INDIEGOGO PAGE has just been launched to crowdfund the removal and reuse of an unexpectedly large group of well-preserved 1930s bricks from thenow-under-deconstruction Yale St. bridge over White Oak Bayou. The group calling itself Friends of Houston’s Yale Bridge Bricks says the funds will be used … Continue reading →

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Want to buy a big piece of land near the Medical Center?

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance. A single tract of land large enough to hold multiple office towers, high-rise residential buildings and a hotel doesn’t often come available inside Loop 610. One near the Texas Medical Center is even more uncommon. After 45 … Continue reading →

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Business as usual with the Texas Enterprise Fund

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Raise your hand if this surprises you. In July of 2013, Gov. Rick Perry announced that he had closed another deal. Chevron would build a 50-story tower in downtown Houston next to one of its existing office buildings. The $662 … Continue reading →

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Yale Street Bridge to be closed for construction

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Three words: Find alternate routes. There’s about to be a lot of yelling about Yale Street, as the historic span makes way for a modern replacement. Crews will close the bridge carrying the road over White Oak bayou on April … Continue reading →

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Pasadena seeks hockey team

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them luck. Pasadena city officials and a group of developers recently discussed working together on a $357 million sports and entertainment resort development to be built in the convention center area. The focal point of the proposed 200-acre … Continue reading →

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The Purple City plan for I-45

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Check it out. Should a major freeway plan consider the needs of cyclists? Of transit riders? And if we’re going to tear down and reconstruct the entire downtown freeway network of the fourth-largest city in America, shouldn’t the final result … Continue reading →

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Gene Locke is reportedly seeking the Commissioners Court nomination

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Please see update at the end of this post. There is new information at the bottom. Remember this? Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Friday named Gene Locke, a former city attorney and mayoral candidate, to complete El Franco Lee’s … Continue reading →

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What’s coming to the Yale Street post office location

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some more news from my neighborhood. A Houston developer plans to replace a shuttered U.S. Postal Service building in the Heights with a two-story mixed-use development with space for offices, shops and restaurants. MFT Interests last month scooped up the … Continue reading →

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Turner wants to rethink transportation

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I like the way he’s thinking. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, in less than a month on the job, has hit the streets at full speed. First he tackled potholes. Last week he tackled a state transportation department that’s spent the … Continue reading →

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Harrisburg line overpass delayed again

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Just, ugh. A rail overpass vital to completion of the East End light rail line that has divided neighbors and eroded public confidence will be delayed another four months, Metro officials confirmed Monday. “It has been the project from … Continue reading →

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