Category Archives: Elsewhere in Houston

Modified Montrose construction to begin on Monday

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here it comes. Workers will break ground Monday on the first phase of a hotly debated plan to revamp Montrose Boulevard from Allen Parkway to West Clay Street. The final roadmap retains the original intent to include an expansive … Continue reading →

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Some good news for UST

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Situation update. The University of St. Thomas in Houston seems to have turned a corner with its finances in 2024, though its position remains precarious as the school posted a deficit in its operating budget for the seventh consecutive year, … Continue reading →

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Let’s renegotiate that lease

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

How sweet it is, for the Texans. As county leaders and officials with Bob McNair’s nascent football team were closing in on a deal for a new football stadium in the early 2000s, the Texans landed a late concession that … Continue reading →

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It’s always the highrises

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We have such a weird history of them in this town. A proposal to build a mixed-use tower in Montrose has hit a roadblock after the Houston Planning Commission rejected a variance request needed for the project, sending developers back … Continue reading →

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Repair Cafés

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is very cool. The Harris County’s Katherine Tyra Branch Library [was] crowded with toolboxes, sewing machines and piles of spare parts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m on Saturday, as volunteer fixers help area residents mend everything from broken appliances to … Continue reading →

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We’ve got tourists

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Yes we do. Houston continues to attract more visitors, setting records in 2024 for number of visitors, air passengers and hotel revenue. More than 54 million people visited the city last year, 6% more than the estimated 51 million in … Continue reading →

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The GRB gets bigger

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Houston First head Michael Heckman on Thursday unveiled plans for a $2 billion overhaul of the George R. Brown Convention Center, a project they said would “transform” the city’s downtown and east side while … Continue reading →

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Shrinking Sugar Land

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. For years, Sugar Land has been a model for how a healthy suburb can develop alongside a booming metropolis in modern America. Situated just 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land has grown from a small town of … Continue reading →

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UST responds to re-accreditation concerns

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. University of St. Thomas administrators announced that they are planning a faculty and staff town hall “to share important updates and discuss our plans” following widespread concerns about the Houston Catholic school’s re-accreditation. Interim President Fr. … Continue reading →

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What’s going on at the University of St. Thomas?

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A whole lot of drama, it appears. The University of St. Thomas’ institutional accreditation is up for renewal as the school grapples with a shakeup in its administrative ranks and six consecutive years of financial losses. The evaluation is a test of … Continue reading →

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Remembering Audio Video Plus

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ah, memories. Until 2012, Houston was home to Audio Video Plus, the Library of Alexandria of VHS. The empty shell of the store is still there at 1225 Waugh in Montrose, mocking any Gen Xer who passes by and dreams … Continue reading →

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It’s been a rough flu season

Posted on March 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Turning our attention to a different infectious disease. The flu is inflicting more fever-coughing-aching misery across Houston and much of the U.S. than it has in years. While most people will recover, thousands have already died during the 2024-2025 flu … Continue reading →

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Turning office space into coliving space

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Definitely worth considering. Nationwide, commercial vacancies are becoming increasingly noteworthy as the gulf between residential rental rates and stagnant wages widens. Low-income earners, folks making between $20,000 and $30,000 annually (typically minimum wage employees, students and seniors living on Social … Continue reading →

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If the Texans want a new stadium, they can build it themselves

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, no. When Texans owner Cal McNair named a new team president last month, the first thing he touted about Mike Tomon’s resume was his “extensive history in stadium development.” Tomon was previously an executive at Legends, a stadium operations … Continue reading →

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Ismaeli Center update

Posted on February 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

An almost-20-year saga is drawing to a close. I’m excited to see what the end result is. Work has resumed on the massive Ismaili Center near Buffalo Bayou after the death of the Aga Khan IV, the leader of the world’s millions … Continue reading →

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RRC finds no fault in that Energy Transfer Pipeline explosion

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What’s a giant fireball among friends, am I right? An investigation by Texas regulators into the massive pipeline explosion in Deer Park last fall has found no safety violations by the pipeline’s operator Energy Transfer Company – a determination drawing … Continue reading →

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The Houston animal ambulance service

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. I had no idea. When a cat was stranded on the roof of a west Houston apartment complex at the height of this week’s winter storm, a 24/7 ambulance for animals responded to the call. The cat, which had … Continue reading →

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Driver who caused the Energy Transfer pipeline fire ruled to have died by suicide

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The report has not been published yet, so there are still questions to be answered. The driver who caused a massive pipeline explosion and fire in Deer Park last fall died by suicide, according to the Harris County medical examiner’s … Continue reading →

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I sure hope these are the only cases we see

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Stay away, measles. The Houston Health Department said [last] Friday it has identified two cases of measles in adults who’ve recently traveled internationally, the first cases in Houston since 2018. The adults live in the same household, and it’s unknown … Continue reading →

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This time the power stayed on

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The weather cooperated by not being as bad as it could have been. Most Houston-area residents woke up to two delights Tuesday morning: an unusually thick blanket of snow, and the power thankfully still on. It was a sharp contrast … Continue reading →

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Snow Day 2025

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That sure was something. Houston woke up to a winter wonderland Tuesday as a fresh blanket of snow fell across the region. The winter storm that also brought sleet should taper off through Tuesday afternoon. How does this snow — … Continue reading →

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Bald eagles

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know why it had never occurred to me before, but there are numerous bald eagles in the greater Houston area, if you are of a mind to try to spot one in the wild. The bald eagle has … Continue reading →

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Time for the annual Christmas tree recycling post

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the most wonderful post-Christmas Day post of the year. The City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) and Houston Parks and Recreation Department invite residents to recycle their live Christmas trees and contribute to a greener holiday season. … Continue reading →

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Recycle those Christmas lights

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Public service announcement: Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department has asked residents to recycle their discarded holiday lights in a very particular way. Instead of leaving them in a recycling bin, they are asked to bring them to either the Westpark … Continue reading →

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IAH Terminal E to be named for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fitting. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution to rename a terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honor of the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. The late congresswoman, who died in July from pancreatic cancer after representing … Continue reading →

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621 set to roll out

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Our newest area code will soon debut. Houston’s newest area code, 621, will officially launch on Jan. 23, 2025. The 621 will be the fifth area code associated with the Houston region, joining the quartet of 281, 346, 713, and … Continue reading →

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On landfills and methane

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

To the extent that we can, we should capture methane gas from landfills and use it for energy. Around 20 miles north of downtown Houston, seated between Interstate 69 and the Sam Houston Tollway, acres of pipeline weave through piles … Continue reading →

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The Ashby Highrise is getting close to being finished

Posted on December 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Wow! Developers recently hit a key milestone in the construction of a high-rise apartment complex in Boulevard Oaks that sparked one of the fiercest land battles in Houston’s history, more than 17 years a high-rise on the site was initially … Continue reading →

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Harris County Sports & Convention Corp to do its own Astrodome assessment

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re on the way to something. Destination TBD. The Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. — which oversees the management, operation and development of NRG Park — has approved a study to consider the future of the Astrodome, whether it … Continue reading →

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We have another plan for repurposing the Astrodome

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what the version number is for this, but whatever it is, increment it by one. The Astrodome became the world’s first domed stadium upon opening its doors in 1965. Financed and developed primarily by then-mayor Roy Hofheinz, the … Continue reading →

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Compost those pumpkins

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

News you can use. The day after Halloween, the city of Houston will roll out its annual effort to keep pumpkins out of landfills where they would contribute to the production of harmful greenhouse gases. The city’s Solid Waste Management … Continue reading →

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Saint Arnold gives a boost to the Beer Can House

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Houston Beer Can House, one of the city’s most famous and beloved artistic landmarks, will now have free admissions and expanded hours thanks to a partnership with Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Located in the Rice Military neighborhood, John … Continue reading →

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Art Car Museum to get a new home

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A very pleasant surprise. Six months ago, Houston’s Art Car Museum rolled out the news that it would shutter at the end of April. But now, plans are revving up to not only keep it open, but give it a … Continue reading →

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SUV that crashed into the Energy Transfer pipeline valve recovered

Posted on September 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Human remains were found inside, sadly. Deer Park city officials confirmed human remains were found in the vehicle involved in the pipeline fire near Deer Park and La Porte after it was towed away Thursday morning following the four-day-long incident … Continue reading →

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