Tag Archives: downtown

Fixing our front door

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds very cool. The century-old Sunset Coffee Building, looming in disrepair over Allen’s Landing at the north end of downtown, will become Houston’s “front door” with an $8 million public-private renovation set to begin in April. The three-story brick … Continue reading →

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Time for another report on how much traffic sucks

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We love this sort of thing, don’t we? Houston commuters continue to endure some of the worst traffic delays in the country, according to the 2012 Urban Mobility Report released Tuesday by the Texas A&M Transportation Commission. Area drivers wasted … Continue reading →

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Here comes that B-Cycle expansion

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. Houston’s bike-sharing program downtown is getting a boost from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, city officials announced Wednesday. The insurance company will contribute $750,000 to expand the B-Cycle system from three stations and 18 bikes to 24 … Continue reading →

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Now you can drink for charity

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The OKRA Charity Bar is now open for business. Charity Bar — like Warren’s Inn, its neighbor around the block — will be open until 2 a.m. seven days a week. “I think bars have a responsibility to people in … Continue reading →

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More on the status of Houston’s bike sharing

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron’s paysite: The expansion is a few months behind schedule, said Laura Spanjian, Houston’s sustainability director. She said federal reviews required under the $116,000 grant to start the bike-sharing program, and state historic preservation approvals for the locations, … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle expands again

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m truly impressed at how successful this has been. San Antonio’s newest B-Cycle bike sharing stations opened Friday at six new locations around South San Antonio. The new stations — located at Roosevelt Park, Concepcion Park, Mission Concepcion, Mission Road … Continue reading →

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That big East End KBR site has been sold

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s one less huge tract of land on the market these days. A Buffalo Bayou-front parcel spanning 136 acres just east of downtown has found a buyer. The mostly vacant tract is under contract and expected to close by the … Continue reading →

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More bike racks

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes that Houston is on the verge of becoming an actual bike-friendly city, and that we ought to recognize that and do something to help facilitate it. Notably, many downtown buildings lack accessible and visible bike racks. For … Continue reading →

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Tomorrow is the last day to submit comments to TxDOT on I-45

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Neighbors – TxDOT has plans for I-45, which will impact you!  If you ever drive on I-45; if you live or work near the I-45 Corridor; if you live or work in the Heights, Old Sixth … Continue reading →

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Downtown schools

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes downtown’s continuing evolution. Last week’s announcement of plans for a Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage marked the latest in a string of developments in the decades-long march in the evolution of about 50 square blocks west … Continue reading →

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MFU Houston encounters some resistance

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

No one ever said updating Houston’s food truck ordinances would be easy. On Tuesday, more than 50 mobile food truck owners and supporters showed up at a council committee hearing to push for changes to the city’s mobile food unit … Continue reading →

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Roundabouts in the sky

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Imagine driving into downtown Houston on interstates 10 or 45, or U.S. 59, and having to merge with all other incoming traffic onto an elevated, one-way traffic circle around the cluster of … Continue reading →

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What would you do with 136 acres near downtown?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Something urban, mixed-use, and transit-oriented, one hopes. A rare opportunity lies in 136 acres just east of downtown Houston. The Buffalo Bayou-front parcel, a longtime industrial and office complex, went on the market earlier this summer – a move bayou … Continue reading →

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Houston Bike Share set to expand

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Cool The plan has always been to expand the program, and Laura Spanjian, Mayor Annise Parker’s sustainability director, first alluded to a search for new locations in early June. “We’re going to have about 20 new kiosks and about 205 new bikes,” Spanjian now tells … Continue reading →

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Nick Cooper: Let Us Help People!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. I am a volunteer with Houston Food Not Bombs, a vegetarian anti-war group that has been in the news recently for speaking … Continue reading →

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Take the train to your dining destination

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Katharine Shilcutt writes about how she gets to some of her favorite restaurants. When owner Staci Davis decided on a location for her restaurant, Radical Eats, one thing was extremely important to her above all: Davis wanted her vegan paradise to … Continue reading →

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Downtown shuttle back in operation

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For those of you who missed the old downtown trolley, here’s its successor. [T]he Greenlink bus service was launched Monday as a free offering for tourists and locals alike. The 18-stop route makes the rounds of eight hotels, the George … Continue reading →

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The B-Cycle era begins

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, Houston’s B-Cycle program officially kicked off last week. Mayor Annise Parker, an occasional bicyclist, called the federally-funded program “a quick, easy alternative to being stuck in traffic or walking long distances in downtown.” She said the bicycles … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing is officially almost here

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Citizens Net: Beginning Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Houston will be one of only 15 U.S. cities to launch a bike share program to make getting around downtown a whole lot easier. The bike share program, known as Houston B-cycle, … Continue reading →

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We need a much fuller public conversation about the homeless feeding ordinance

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As Neil noted, some of us had the opportunity on Friday to ask Mayor Parker questions over lunch on Friday. Not surprisingly, the homeless feeding ordinance came up, and we spent quite a bit of time discussing it. The Mayor … Continue reading →

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Tailgating downtown

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Go for it! The Dynamo have been playing at the University of Houston’s Robertson Stadium and have always allowed tailgating prior to games. However, fans won’t have the same luxury at the soccer team’s new stadium because of a city … Continue reading →

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Here comes NBC Sports

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Comcast SportsNet Houston, which is owned by NBC Sports, is coming to downtown. Comcast SportsNet Houston, the new regional sports network that will air Rockets games this fall and Astros games in 2013, plans to begin broadcasting in early October … 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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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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Houston Central Station

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is pretty cool. [Last Tuesday], the Houston Downtown Management District hosted a competition featuring designs from five award-winning architectural firms. The challenge: to design an iconic new Central Station – Main on Main Street between Capitol and Rusk. The … Continue reading →

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Doing business downtown

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Despite public and private attempts to revive a shopping scene downtown, the retail market has struggled. Some stores like Forever 21 and Books-A-Million have opened, but most of the activity in recent … Continue reading →

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New bike trail into downtown nearing completion

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: It looks like large portions of the 2.8-mile-long Heritage West Bikeway connecting Stude Park to UH-Downtown are close to completion, but the path along portions of the former UP railway won’t open until summer, according to the city. … Continue reading →

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Comcast SportsNet Houston

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This would be cool. The NBC Sports Group is seeking about $2 million in state and local support to bring a major production studio and 135 jobs to downtown Houston. The operation would be for Comcast SportsNet Houston, a new … Continue reading →

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Here comes the Convention District

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this turns into. The newest vision for the eastern edge of downtown includes hotels and residential buildings in place of what are now parking lots. Officials also picture a bustling pedestrian scene where shops and restaurants line … Continue reading →

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New parking regulations

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Hair Balls last week had a good discussion of a proposal by the city to revamp its 1989 Off Street Parking ordinance. Currently, bars — which are defined as having alcohol make up more than 75 percent of their sales … Continue reading →

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Downtown shuttle service to return

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Do you miss the free trolleys that used to run downtown? A new version of that service is set to debut in the spring. The Houston Downtown Management District, funded through tax assessments on downtown properties, plans to launch a … Continue reading →

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Hardy Toll Road extension gets final OK

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After many years of planning, a project to extend the Hardy Toll Road all the way into downtown is finally headed to the drawing board. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is seeking the court’s permission to begin final negotiations … Continue reading →

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Freetail expansion on hold

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Having previously announced expansion into the Houston market, Freetail Brewing Co. will announce the indefinite suspension of plans for a second location — citing concerns over access to capital. “As I moved forward with the Freetail Houston project, I … Continue reading →

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The Sundance Theater deal

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

When Sundance Theaters announced it would take the place of the Angelika downtown, everyone was happy. The deal that their landlord is getting to make way for them is not quite as joy-inducing. Sundance Cinemas negotiated a lease earlier this … Continue reading →

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