The proposed use of stimulus funds to build Segment E of the Grand Parkway through farmland and prairie is doomed according to a Chronicle report. Other major headlines from the last month include new momentum to establish high-speed and commuter rail lines (1, 2, 3). The old Savoy Hotel in Downtown Houston was demolished but the Flagship Hotel on the Galveston Seawall remains. Montrose is named a top ten neighborhood nationally by the American Planning Association. And listen to the NPR series on Houston by Steve Inskeep if you haven't already.
Friday October 9
Grand Parkway stretch in W. Harris Co. not so shovel-ready after all "Harris County officials will ask the state to shift $181 million in federal stimulus funding from a controversial toll road portion of the Grand Parkway to other local projects, citing delays obtaining federal permits that 'might never be issued'....'This is stupendous news' said David Crossley, president of the non-profit Houston Tomorrow."
Commuter rail: It will take unity, teamwork to bring regional service here within three to five years. [Houston Chronicle] "The question is no longer whether but when commuter service will plug the city's suburbs into Metro's light rail service and other transit options inside the 610 Loop."
10 YEARS OF JAINISM New Center Opens for Houston's growing Jain population [Houston Chronicle] "At 14102 Schiller, the facility cost $2 million, raised entirely from voluntary donations. The facility's main room features a 3,600-square-foot cardinal-pyramid meditation hall, shaped to enhance the meditation experience."
FIRM TO TAP POWER OF GULF WAVES Texas company says its approach addresses 2 global problems at once [Houston Chronicle] "A Texas firm plans to use power generated by the Gulf of Mexico's waves to make its salty water drinkable...The desalinated water will be stored in a 30,000-gallon tank on the platform and then transported to shore, where it will be put in bottles made from corn-based plastic and marketed under the Renew Blue brand."
Thursday October 8
High speed rail in Texas: options [Intermodality]
West Houston Medical to get expansion $70 million, project will add 95,000-square feet to facility [Houston Chronicle] "The architectural firm of Gould/Turner designed West Houston's renovation with growth in mind."
Legislation helps county regulate fronts for prostitution [Houston Chronicle] "Massage parlors have taken center stage because many have set up shop in unincorporated Harris County in recent years, said Precinct 4 Assistant Chief Tim Cannon. The city of Houston has ordinances on the books, and resources that have put pressure on owners of massage parlors, so many have moved their operations into unincorporated Harris County, which does not have similar ordinances in place."
GALLERIA DISTRICT Theater is ready to be built: But company wants to raise more money [Houston Chronicle] "The land has been secured and the shovels are waiting, but it's going to be a little while yet before A.D. Players breaks ground on the construction of a $49 million, 130,000-square foot facility at 5420 Westheimer...'There are no live performance venues in the Galleria area," said John Gabriel, owner of Gabriel Architects in Houston. "So everyone is very excited about this project. It's an important addition to the Uptown District and to the City of Houston.'"
Resident says trail run down MLK Rails to Trails to be finished Dec. 19 [Houston Chronicle] "The city of Houston is delaying the grand opening of the MLK Rails to Trails project, a nearly five-mile hike-and-bike trail through the Heights, until Dec. 19 in order to make repairs to a wooden railroad trestle which crosses over White Oak Bayou adjacent to Studemont."
Building is one of a kind, in Texas: Building earns certification for being "green" [Houston Chronicle] "With its new LEED-EB v2.0 Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings, 2000 St. James Place can boast of its status as the only commercial building in Texas and one of only 49 in the United States to earn the rating...To achieve a LEED gold ranking, Cameron enlisted the help of Morris Chen, a LEED accredited professional and the building's general manager, to make the necessary changes."
Wednesday October 7
Eclectic, walkable and one of top 10: What sprawl? Planning group lists Montrose among great U.S. neighborhoods Montrose: Planners say win shows city's method works [Houston Chronicle] "Montrose, the central Houston community known for its diverse lifestyles, vibrant street life and stately historic homes, is being honored by the American Planning Association today as one of the country's 10 great neighborhoods...In the early 20th century, long before it became the focus of slum-clearing urban renewal projects or the heart of Houston's gay and lesbian community, Montrose was an elite master-planned suburb, said Stephen Fox, a Rice University architectural historian."
Monday October 5
MAYORAL RACE Winner inherits task of solving gridlock: Candidates differ on whether buses or light rail should be ‘heart' of transit system mayor: Metro's focus at issue [Houston Chronicle]
Sunday October 4
PUSH TO MAKE COMMUTER RAIL A REALITY Metro, the city of Galveston and a third group are all touting their concepts, routes RAIL: All 3 groups pushing ahead [Houston Chronicle] "'If this thing gets built it's going to involve a lot of funding,' said Christof Spieler, a transportation analyst on the board of the Citizens' Transportation Coalition. 'Every agency wants to be in charge of that pot of money.'"
Thursday October 1
FLAGSHIP HOTEL A SYMBOL OF IKE More than a year after the storm, the fate of a battered Isle landmark is undecided [Houston Chronicle] "If Landry's decides to keep the pier, it will likely have only one project, for example either a remodeled hotel or an amusement pier."
Houston identifies new RPA project: Woodlands to fund Med Center bridge work [Houston Chronicle] "As part of an ongoing agreement with Houston to avoid future annexation, The Woodlands will fund part of the construction of a bridge near the Texas Medical Center. The township approved the use of $500,000 of its sale tax revenues to build a bridge to extend Cambridge across Brays Bayou in Houston to improve traffic flow in the Texas Medical Center and to reduce traffic hazards in the area."
No Zoning catalog, activities make up for exhibit's flaws [Houston Chronicle] "Caroline Huber and the Art Guys contribute an invaluable chronology of Houston's art scene since 1930. Cameron Armstrong's memoir of a 1993 battle over zoning combines personal experience with broader historical context. Susanne Theis, who spent nearly 25 years with the Orange Show Foundation, updates a 2000 essay on Houston's handmade personal spaces like the Beer Can House, Cleveland 'The Flower Man' Turner's garden and Jeff McKissack's Orange Show."
A Tree House for grown-ups The idea for this concept home came naturally [Houston Chronicle]
Now, working with Houston architects Erick Ragni and Scott Strasser, Barden has completed the Tree House in Montrose.
She was attracted to the lot at 1608 Indiana by its proximity to a row of gorgeous oaks on nearby Yupon. Tall and stately, with canopies that cast generous shadows on the street, the oaks inspired a warm, modern space that takes full advantage of leafy views.
Rather than rip out old trees to maximize a building's square footage, Barden prides herself on keeping them - and planting more. For the Tree House, she saved a large fig tree and planted more than two dozen other specimens including laurel, dwarf magnolia and red oak.
REMEMBER WHEN ... Old airports gone, but not forgotten [Houston Chronicle]
Everything's bigger? Texas, meet Dubai[Houston Chronicle] "Last month, I went shopping in a mall that makes the Galleria and Mall of America - even if you put them together - look like a guy selling watermelons on the side of the road."
Sunday September 27
Vision for Project Row Houses: Art endeavor may branch into the business of laundromats [Houston Chronicle]
Cookie Love, he [Rick Lowe] explains, is a big, sweet woman that he met at a Third Ward laundromat. Love makes money by doing other people's laundry, and he sees her in the neighborhood, pushing a cart loaded with big plastic bags full of clothes, to and from the laundromat. But the neighborhood's run-down laundromats are being shuttered, one by one, and Lowe worries that soon, she won't have anywhere to work.
The art? Lowe envisions "Cookie Love's Wash 'n' Fold," an actual laundromat, a nice clean one, that celebrates a real person, a real life, a real part of the Third Ward.
Friday September 25
No Zoning falls victim to, well, zoning: Painting, other media aren't included - and much of what is, is filler [Houston Chronicle] Douglass Britt comments on the CAMH exhibtion: "A better solution would have been to include the city's painters and sculptors, many of whom talk about being inspired by the weird juxtapositions the city's lack of zoning creates. Picture Give and Take looming over Hana Hillerova's sleek, geometric sculptures - two of which are on view at Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery through Oct. 1 - and Howard Sherman's expressionist, bombastic canvases in dialogue with Jonathan Leach's crisp, architectural paintings. Throw in some of Kathy Kelley's wild-eyed assemblages of tires, rebar and other detritus, and you'd get a mix that says "no zoning" better than No Zoning does."
Thursday September 24
SOLAR POWER MAY SHINE FOR THE CITY If council OKs $40 million deal, NRG will create largest such plant in Texas by July [Houston Chronicle] "Under a 25-year proposed agreement being announced today, the city of Houston will buy power for its buildings from the plant, which will be the largest solar plant in Texas when it's completed in July. Its 10-megawatt capacity - which will be online only during daylight hours - will provide up to 1.5 percent of the city government's power needs. NRG, which won the contract to build the plant through a bidding process, will front the $40 million to build the plant on 70 acres of land at the site of the existing T.H. Wharton power plant near Texas 249 and North Beltway 8. The plant will use thin-film photovoltaic solar panels manufactured by First Solar Inc."
Solar energy is money-saver for homeowner: Willowbend resident's work to be featured on solar home tour [Houston Chronicle]
Reardon, an architect, is director of the event and clearly practices what she promotes when it comes to sustainable living.
She built her first "green" home in Bellaire in 2002. Featured in an earlier Solar Tour, it was one of the first green homes in the Houston area. Her firm, RD Architecture, helps clients design green residential and commercial structures.
Her home at 4618 Waycross made it on the 2009 tour after a serious energy-minded makeover the past year. The house lost its roof to Hurricane Ike, and Reardon couldn't bring herself to replace it with the same, old composition shingles.
She chose a white, metal standing seam roof, which by itself helps keeps the attic cool, then had 18 photo voltaic panels installed. In full sun, the system can supply up to 25 percent of the home's electrical load, she said.
Proposed master trails project seek comments, funds: Agencies hold town-hall meeting at Wolfe [Houston Chronicle] "To learn more about the proposed West Houston Trails Master plan and to contribute your input, visit www.energycorridordistrict.org/west-houston-trails."
Officials study local option for Grand Parkway [Houston Chronicle] "Montgomery County is one of several counties in the region that is expected to vote on a local options for construction of the 170-mile, third loop around the Houston region."
Wednesday September 23
HOUSING HERE SHOWS NEW SPARK Permits for homes jump for second time in '09, but will revival be sustained after tax credit ends? [Houston Chronicle]
Tuesday September 22
This is news: NPR comes to city, gets city right [Houston Chronicle]
Monday September 21
MOVE IT! Developments by rail, by sea and by car [Houston Chronicle]
The Citizens' Transportation Coalition continues to oppose the Grand Parkway, and Segment E in particular. CTC Chairwoman Robin Holzer made an appearance before the Commissioners Court to reiterate the group's opposition. In a nutshell, the group thinks the road will promote sprawl, air pollution and flooding, while siphoning precious transportation dollars from more urgent projects, such as U.S. 290. Segment E is slated to receive $181 million in federal stimulus money.
Holzer posed a number of substantial questions to the commissioners, which they declined to answer in the moment. She submitted them in writing but has yet to hear anything back. Here are some of her questions about this project (condensed by me).
What requirements remain for Segment E to qualify to receive the stimulus funds, and what are the deadlines?
Commissioners Court authorized (March 2009) and voted to advertise (July 2009) for a consultant to assess the financial viability of Segment E as a toll road. Will the county actually do the study? When will the results be available?
Harris County has met with private firms interested in partnering with the county to build the Grand Parkway. When will the county decide whether or not to use a public-private partnership, and what public process will it use to engage taxpayers in the decision?
Saturday September 19
Old Savoy hotel to be demolished [Houston Chronicle] The original seven-story hotel at 1616 Main, constructed in 1909, is scheduled to be razed Friday. A 17-story addition, built in 1966, will remain intact although it also has been vacant since the Savoy closed its doors in 1988."
Friday September 18
On one Houston corner, there are three places to get your Starbucks fix [Houston Chronicle] An article about Shepherd and West Gray.
Metro approves 2010 budget Bulk will go toward upcoming light-rail projects [Houston Chronicle] "Metro passed a $1.26 billion budget on Thursday that involves a heavier debt load and a 5-cent fare increase next January. The overall budget for fiscal 2010 is 23 percent higher than last year, but the operating portion of the budget remains flat. The increases stem, in part, from capital spending and debt related to the impending construction of new light-rail lines that will run north, east and southeast from downtown Houston. The budget also contains money for a new Park & Ride lot in Pearland, a commuter bus route to Texas 6 in Missouri City, and a local bus serving the Energy Corridor in west Houston. Metro also plans to buy 100 new hybrid buses and construct 100 new bus shelters."
Thursday September 17
Houston: Texas-Sized Sprawl, No End In Sight [NPR]
Commuter rail to be discussed at public meetings [Houston Chronicle] "The idea of a commuter rail line along Interstate 45 to connect Houston and Galveston and points in-between is among several ideas to be discussed at three public meetings this month."
Proposed master trails project seek comments, funds [Houston Chronicle] Community leaders in west Houston are looking to the region's residents and stakeholders to determine the best way to create a master plan of interconnected shared-use trails linking the 130,000-acre area that lays within a six-mile radius centered at Interstate 10 and Texas 6...[T]he Energy Corridor has set up a Web site, www.energycorridordistrict.org/west-houston-trails, where people can not only view the existing west Houston trail map and proposed changes, but they can also complete surveys to submit their input about where they would like to see new trails constructed or linked to one another.
Computer housed in cardboard is a sustainable design recompute: PC on display at UH [Houston Chronicle] "EunSook Kwon, the director of the industrial design program at the University of Houston who oversaw Macaluso's thesis project, expects arguments about whether the case is really sustainable, given that it seems designed to be easily disposable. 'It is controversial. I think that's the beauty of this project,' she said. 'Sustainable design is not supposed to be the perfect solution but it is a new way of thinking and using materials.'"
AVENUE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT From fire station to apartments Structure, built in 1931, has new lease on life [Houston Chronicle] "A 1931 fire station once recognized as the "most modern in the South" has new life as a small apartment building in Houston's historic Old Sixth Ward. Avenue Community Development Corp., a nonprofit working to revitalize the Washington Avenue and Near Northside community, showed off its latest property transformation during a recent open house at the former Fire Station No. 6, 901 Henderson St...The old fire station was designed in 1931 by the city's Architect Department, which was then headed by W.A. Dowdy."
Prison takes on new role as a museum: Sugar Land to be home to Natural Science satellite facility [Houston Chronicle]
Area welcomes change in storm recovery plan: Nonprofits still see problems with distributing funds [Houston Chronicle] "Harris County officials offered qualified praise Wednesday for a revised state plan that increases local control of federal hurricane recovery funds and provides an additional $225 million to the Houston-Galveston area...The rental housing program is of particular interest in Houston, which is using most of its share of the federal funds to refurbish run-down apartment developments. H-GAC is to receive $104.4 million of the $174.3 million designated for this purpose."
Hightower students produce documentary on the environment [Houston Chronicle] "The documentary, 20 minutes long, explores the condition of wetlands around Houston and within Fort Bend County."
Lone Star College-North Harris to build educational, community development center in Aldine [Houston Chronicle]
Street plan clarifies agreement between the city, its residents [Houston Chronicle] "The city's Neighborhood Reconstruction Program, which is coordinated through the Public Works and Engineering Department, requires neighborhoods that want residential street improvements to submit an official application, which includes a petition that must be signed by over 75 percent of the property owners. Until now, residents who signed the petition agreed they were willing to pay for part of the project."
UTMB making strong recovery $1 billion plan a comeback from massive layoffs and a proposal to move it off Isle [Houston Chronicle] "The UT Board of Regents recently authorized $667 million worth of new projects at UTMB, an amount that doesn't include a proposed $400 million hospital tower."
Sunday September 13
Battered, bruised but not broken, Galveston is seeing signs of renewal in the distance as its tax base recovers and tourism returns [Houston Chronicle]
