Tag Archives: TIRZ

Whitmire’s Montrose Boulevard plan passes on second try

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Dammit. A controversial Montrose Boulevard redesign plan is set to move forward with key revisions introduced by the Whitmire administration after board members of the area’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone voted to accept the changes Friday morning. The Nov. 1 meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Abbie Kamin, accidents, bicycles, density, drainage, flooding, Houston, John Whitmire, Montrose, pedestrians, sidewalks, TIRZ, trees, Trees for Houston, urbanism, Vision Zero | 2 Comments

Not so fast on Whitmire’s Montrose Boulevard revisions

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Probably fleeting, but still nice. After months of delays, the controversial redesign of Montrose Boulevard was still in limbo Monday night when a split vote at a contentious public meeting stalled the project yet again. The Whitmire administration favors a design that would … Continue reading →

Montrose Blvd project officially delayed

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. Permitting for an overhaul of Montrose Boulevard, a project that has drawn ire from residents pushing to protect the road’s oak trees, has been delayed at City Hall after Mayor John Whitmire’s staff asked project organizers to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Abbie Kamin, accidents, bicycles, Bob Lanier, buses, density, drainage, Election 2023, flooding, Houston, John Whitmire, Kathy Whitmire, Mayor, Metro, monorail, Montrose, pedestrians, sidewalks, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ, trees, Trees for Houston, urbanism, Vision Zero | 3 Comments

“If you’ve ever gardened, you know you have to weed”

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What Allyn West says. I moved to Montrose in 2008, just in time for Hurricane Ike to welcome me to the Gulf Coast formally, and I lived on Crocker at Avondale during the pandemic. When Hurricane Harvey claimed the Honda … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged bicycles, density, Houston, Montrose, pedestrians, sidewalks, TIRZ, trees, Trees for Houston, urbanism | 8 Comments

Abbott says he wants a list from Turner

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A list of funding priorities, he says. Because he’s passive like that. Answering Houston’s latest complaints over funding for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday told Mayor Sylvester Turner the state can step up with more money … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged Dan Patrick, Governor, Greg Abbott, Houston, Hurricane Harvey, local control, rainy day fund, special session, Sylvester Turner, Texas, The Lege, TIRZ | 2 Comments

Uptown lawsuit filed

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose we should have expected something like this. The city’s Uptown Development Authority and the economic development zone that feeds it were created in violation of the Texas Constitution, two critics allege in a lawsuit that seeks to void … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged BRT, Constitution, Houston, Jim Scarborough, lawsuit, Russell Masraff, Texas Open Meetings Act, TIRZ, Uptown, Uptown Development Authority, Uptown line, Uptown Management District, videos | Comments Off

My vision for Metro: Buses

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said before that I would have some suggestions for new Metro Board Chair Carrin Patman and her team as they take their places. This post is where I start sharing those suggestions. The idea is to focus on proposals … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged B-Cycle, bicycles, buses, Commissioners Court, Election 2012, Harris County, Houston, Houston City Council, Metro, pedestrians, sidewalks, TIRZ | 6 Comments

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 →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged construction, drainage, flooding, Houston, lawsuit, Residents Against Flooding, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ | 1 Comment

Council unanimously passes Turner’s first budget

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good job. Mayor Sylvester Turner achieved his goal of securing unanimous passage of his first general fund budget Wednesday morning, a month ahead of the typical schedule and after an unusually brief and uncontentious discussion of council members’ proposed changes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, deficit, economy, Houston, Houston City Council, pension fund, sales taxes, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ | 28 Comments

Turner announces his budget

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Utilizing a shared sacrifice approach, Mayor Sylvester Turner today unveiled a proposed Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget that eliminates a projected $160 million shortfall that was the result of cost increases, voter imposed revenue limitations, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, deficit, economy, Houston, layoffs, pension fund, property taxes, revenue cap, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ | 16 Comments

Criminal complaint filed over Uptown land acquisition

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

All righty then. A consultant who represents property owners in the Galleria area has filed a criminal complaint with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, alleging the Uptown Development Authority and related entities broke state open meetings and disclosure laws … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Devon Anderson, District Attorney, Houston, John Breeding, Metro, Texas Open Meetings Act, TIRZ, Uptown, Uptown line, Uptown Management District, Wayne Dolcefino | Comments Off

Mayor Turner releases transition team report

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, a glimpse of what to expect in the near to medium future from Mayor Turner. Mayor Sylvester Turner has released a 17-page report that details the work of his transition team chaired by businessman and long-time civic … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, David Mincberg, deficit, Houston, Houston City Council, Mayor, pension fund, Renew Houston, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ | Comments Off

Layoffs are coming

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna suck, though hopefully not as hard as last time. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday that a still undetermined number of city employees will be laid off in the coming months, making his first formal acknowledgment that Houston’s projected … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, deficit, economy, Houston, Houston City Council, pension fund, revenue cap, Sylvester Turner, TIRZ | 14 Comments

Hey look, a Regent Square update

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes I forget this is still a thing. In 2007, longtime urbanites said goodbye to the Allen House Apartments, a decades-old complex along Dunlavy just south of Allen Parkway. The multiblock property was a Houston institution, housing hundreds of college … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alamo Drafthouse, Allen House, Allen Parkway, construction, Dunlavy, Houston, Montrose, Regent Square, TIRZ, urbanism | 1 Comment

Uptown BRT construction begins

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m really rooting for this to succeed. Dignitaries will gather Monday to symbolically start construction of wider sidewalks and dedicated bus lanes meant to enhance Post Oak Boulevard and offer improved transit service, even as some residents and business owners … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged BRT, construction, HGAC, HOV lanes, I-610, John Breeding, Metro, sidewalks, TIRZ, TxDOT, Uptown, Uptown line, Uptown Management District | 1 Comment

The latest Uptown fuss

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose I need to say something about this. Two members of an economic development board pushing a plan to run a center bus lane along Uptown’s Post Oak Boulevard have financial ties to companies that will be paid for … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged BRT, Federal Transit Administration, John Breeding, Save Uptown, TIRZ, Uptown, Uptown line, Uptown Management District | Comments Off

What kind of Memorial Park do you want?

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Council is set to vote on the Memorial Park Conservancy plan, whether you like it or not. Joe Turner does not want more drawings gathering dust on a shelf. Houston’s parks and recreation director inherited more than a few unrealized … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Annise Parker, Bayou Greenway Initiative, Buffalo Bayou, Election 2015, Houston, Houston City Council, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Mayor, Memorial Park, Memorial Park Conservancy, Save Buffalo Bayou, Shellye Arnold, Thomas Woltz, TIRZ, Uptown Management District | 4 Comments

An Uptown BRT skeptic

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one guy who doesn’t like the idea. Ridership models developed by the Uptown TIRZ board project that the new bus route will carry 10,000 riders per day in 2018. This estimate is outrageously inflated, given that the more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged BRT, buses, Houston, HOV lanes, Metro, TIRZ, traffic, Uptown, Uptown line, Uptown Management District | 2 Comments

Like a bridge over Memorial Park

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some fascinating ideas for ensuring the long-term health of Memorial Park. Today Memorial Park is a land divided. The city’s premiere park stretches across 1,500 acres, almost twice as large as New York’s Central Park. But to Thomas Woltz of … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged drought, Houston, invasive species, Memorial Drive, Memorial Park, Memorial Park Conservancy, Shellye Arnold, Thomas Woltz, TIRZ, trees, Uptown | Comments Off

Holmes Road

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It kind of blows my mind that something like this could be the case in 2014 in Houston. Holmes Road in south Houston, for a stretch, feels less like a city street and more like a weathered country road in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged 380 agreement, construction, drainage, Harris County, Holmes Road, Houston, Medical Center, TIRZ, urbanism | Comments Off

Hiram Clarke TIRZ

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I think this will be a good thing. The Houston City Council and the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a plan this month to boost development in Houston’s southwest corner with the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Hiram Clarke, Houston, Houston City Council, Larry Green, TIRZ, urbanism | Comments Off

The Uptown plan is as much about HOV as it is BRT

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe more. Most discussion of the Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone’s plan, which goes before City Council this week, has been about a proposal to annex Memorial Park into the zone and spend $100 million restoring the drought-stricken park. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged BRT, Christof Spieler, HGAC, Houston, Houston City Council, HOV lanes, John Breeding, Metro, Oliver Pennington, TIRZ, University line, Uptown, Uptown line | 1 Comment

Memorial Park will not become the Riverwalk

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Council will vote on the proposed Uptown/Memorial TIRZ this week, which may or may not put an end to some of the wild speculation about what expanding the Uptown TIRZ boundaries to include Memorial Park may mean. Imagine you’re jogging … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Annise Parker, Ellen Cohen, Houston, Houston City Council, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Joe Turner, Memorial Park, TIRZ, Uptown | 2 Comments

Looking forward on Memorial Park

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Shellye Arnold, the new Executive Director of the Memorial Park Conservancy. There is no doubt that it is a pivotal moment for the 89-year old-park. Decimated by the drought of 2011, Memorial Park lost thousands of trees. The conservancy … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged drought, Houston, Memorial Park, Shellye Arnold, TIRZ, trees | Comments Off

Have your say on the Uptown/Memorial Park TIRZ

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, and the office of CM Oliver Pennington: To the Residents of District G: As many of you are aware, the May 1, 2013, Council Agenda contained several items related to the Reinvestment Zone Number Sixteen (Uptown Zone), … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Annise Parker, Houston, Houston City Council, Memorial Park, Oliver Pennington, TIRZ, Uptown | 1 Comment

Questions about the Memorial Park part of the Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg reports that some people have raised questions about the Memorial Park part of the Uptown/Memorial TIRZ. Reforestation is sorely needed in a park devastated by hurricane damage and drought. This is a great deal, city leaders and supporters … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Annise Parker, Evelyn Merz, Houston, Houston City Council, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Memorial Park, Sierra Club, TIRZ, trees, Uptown | 5 Comments

For the Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ed Wulfe never mentions Mattress Mack or his recent diatribe in the Chron about the proposed Uptown/Memorial Park TIRZ, but his op-ed in the Chron is clearly aimed at countering naysayers like Mattress Mack. Uptown is one of the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged BRT, Houston, Memorial Park, Metro, TIRZ, traffic congestion, Uptown, Uptown Management District | 1 Comment

The Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Big projects, big plans, big funding mechanism. Transit and trees – things that make urban areas move quickly and look pretty – are the centerpieces of a $500 million project that would remake the Uptown area and reinvigorate Memorial Park. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Annise Parker, B-Cycle, bicycles, BRT, HGAC, Houston, Houston City Council, John Breeding, Memorial Park, Metro, TIRZ, Uptown, Uptown line | 1 Comment

An opponent for the Controller

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Big Jolly reports on a new candidate. There are two powerful elected positions in the City of Houston: Mayor and City Controller. So naturally I was curious when I heard that someone was going to challenge the incumbent Controller Ronald … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged Bill Frazer, Election 1997, Election 2013, Houston, Houston City Controller, Lloyd Kelley, property taxes, Ronald Green, Sylvia Garcia, TIRZ | 3 Comments

Could this be the catalyst for Astrodome redevelopment?

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. The city of Houston and Harris County are preparing to create a mammoth, two-part economic development zone covering more than 11 square miles along the South Loop and at the northeast end of downtown. The plan stems from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Astrodome, Commissioners Court, Dynamo Stadium, El Franco Lee, Harris County, Houston, Houston City Council, Reliant Stadium, TIRZ | Comments Off

Leland Woods

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been banging the drum lately about encouraging growth inside the city’s boundaries as a long-term financial management strategy, so I’m glad to see this. Eight years ago, city of Houston officials decided to incentivize the conversion of 80 wooded … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged construction, District B, Houston, Jerry Davis, Leland Woods, Midtown, TIRZ | Comments Off

BBVA Compass Stadium

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Dynamo Stadium gets a new name. When the Dynamo first approached BBVA Compass before breaking ground on their new stadium, the two-time MLS Cup champions were looking for a loan to help finance the construction of the club’s venue on … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged Bill White, Dynamo, Dynamo Stadium, Houston, MLS, soccer, TIRZ | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Bob Eury, downtown, Houston, Ibarra brothers, Metro, REV Houston, TIRZ, trolleys | 2 Comments

Does it count if it’s a TIRZ?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. As the city of Houston seeks to close a $21 million budget gap in the next eight weeks, it is counting on selling a public building to one of its own redevelopment agencies. And while the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Anne Clutterbuck, Annise Parker, budget, deficit, Houston, Houston City Council, TIRZ, Wanda Adams | 1 Comment

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