Neighborhood

Flooding, Twin Falls

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A water-watching reader sends some south-facing photos from yesterday evening (right)Â and last October, comparingÂ viewsÂ over the fenceline of the 400-ft.-wide diversion channelÂ at the northern edge of the Addicks reservoir. The channel picks up most of the flow from Langham and Horsepen creeks where theyÂ join up as they flow south into Addicks.Â The 400-ft.-wideÂ floodwayÂ was dug in the 1980s; the flow usually lurks down inÂ theÂ narrow channel seen in theÂ shot on the left.

The scene above is less than a mileÂ eastÂ of Bear Creek Village, where water is now moseyingÂ into neighborhoods from the western edgeÂ of the reservoir (and washing someÂ wildife and livestock around). The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing water from both Addicks and Barker dams to minimize the poolingÂ (and relieve stress on the dam structures themselves) — but those releases have to be doneÂ slowly enoughÂ to avoid causing additional flooding downstream along Buffalo Bayou. Meanwhile, water is still flowing into the reservoirs from western watersheds; the measured levels behind the 2 damsÂ topped allÂ previous water level records and normally allowed poolingÂ limitsÂ in the reservoir by Tuesday, and has been rising since.Â Here’s a shot of waterÂ gushing out through some of the gates of theÂ BarkerÂ dam this afternoon:

Drinking It In, Spitting It Out

77041, Addicks Reservoir, Army Corps of Engineers, Barker Reservoir, Bear Creek Village, Dams, Flooding, Horsepen Creek, Langham Creek, Twin Falls, Water Detention

Allen's Landing

04/22/16 11:00am

Here’s Your Chance to Design the AIA’s New Spaghetti-Proximal Downtown Headquarters

Downtown

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900 Commerce St., Downtown, Houston, 77002

A charrette will be held at 9AM tomorrow for anyone interested in entering the design competition for the American Institute of Architects’sÂ new Houston chapter headquarters, to be located atÂ 900 Commerce St. across from Spaghetti Warehouse. Â After being outbid on the blue mod Christian Science church on Main St.Â back in January, AIA and Architecture Center Houston are instead purchasing around 8,000 sq. ft. of space in the 1906 B.A. Reisner building, adjacent to the storiedÂ Bayou LoftsÂ occupying much ofÂ the block.Â Part 1 of theÂ competition willÂ solicit ideas only for the 5,400-sq.-ft. storefront, 2,200-sq.-ft. boiler room, and some connections between the spaces;Â teams making it to roundÂ 2 will win a bit of cash and be asked to create detailed designs for the storefront and the building’s facade.

The view of the Reisner building aboveÂ wasÂ snappedÂ from Commerce looking south; below is aÂ black-and-white shot of the building from further east across Travis, taken back in the days of itsÂ early-1900s employment by Southern Rice Products Company:

Rice Roaster Reimagining

77002, AIA, Allen's Landing, Design Competitions, Downtown

Bear Creek Village

04/21/16 4:45pm

Where Water and Wildlife Are Expected To Enter Bear Creek Village as Addicks Rises

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Potential Flood Map, Bear Creek, Houston, 77084

The Army Corps of Engineers will begin releasing water from the Addicks and Barker damsÂ later this evening; nonetheless, water levels in theÂ reservoirsÂ are stillÂ expected to riseÂ high enough to cause street flooding in the Bear Creek subdivision north of Clay Rd.Â The Corps also notesÂ that nearby residential areasÂ should anticipate thatÂ wildlifeÂ inhabiting approximatelyÂ 26,000 acres of forested landÂ in the 2 reservoirs may fleeÂ the rising waterÂ and enter nearby neighborhoods. That wildlife may include the feral pigs previously targeted byÂ Harris County Precinct 3’sÂ trapping-and-foodbankingÂ program; sightings of animals such as deer, coyotes, and bobcats have also been reported in the reservoirs.

Harris County Flood Control District has published a list of streets that could be impassible for days or weeks due to flooding, as well as a few maps (one of which is shown above).Â Here’s the other map below, highlighting in pink theÂ streets south of Addicks Satsuma Rd. and Langham Creek expected to getÂ water when the level in Addicks reaches 103 feet:

Creeping Into the Neighborhood

77084, Addicks Reservoir, Bear Creek Village, Flooding, Highways

04/21/16 12:45pm

The Nextdoor Strip That Surfhouse and Houston Panini Might Scoot Into on W. 34th St.

Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Restaurants, Retail

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Re:Vive redevelopment at 34th and Ella, Oak Forest, Houston, 77018

1727 W 34th St, GO/OF, Houston, 77018 ReVive’sÂ plans to redo the shopping strips at the southwest corner of 34th St. and Ella Blvd. in Oak Forest look like they may keep a few existing businesses in the center, though some shuffling about mayÂ be involved. The rendering up top comes from the redeveloper’s leasing flier for the corner, whichÂ shows a makeover of several existing buildings along with plans forÂ a few new pad sites. The flier depictsÂ SurfhouseÂ surf and skate shop (currently in a building next door slated for demo) snuggled into the spot recently evacuated by T-Shirt Works. The doorÂ next to thatÂ is marked with theÂ logo forÂ Pop & Pan (the eventualÂ new name ofÂ Houston Panini &Â Provisions,Â pictured above in its current location facing 34th).

The siteplan included with the renderingsÂ clarifies some of the changes that might be carried outÂ — the 2 existing buildings that form the L-shaped center rendered above areÂ seen below on theÂ left:

Garden Oaks/Oak Forest

77018, Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, Redevelopment, Restaurants, Retail

Homes for Sale

04/20/16 5:15pm

Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: A Mystical Encounter

Interiors, Summer Creek Ranch

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14610 Belgian Beauty Ct., Summer Creek Ranch, Houston, 77044

14610 Belgian Beauty Ct.Â [HAR]

77044, Home Listings, Homes for Sale, Summer Creek Ranch

04/20/16 4:45pm

Some Bird’s-Eye Fisheye Views of the Water Rising in Porter

Porter

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April 18th drone views over Martin Circle Dr., Porter, TX 77365

A glimpse behindÂ some northern fencelines comes by way of drone from G.A. Eblen, who took to the Porter sky by proxy to catch these shots of planned and impromptuÂ retention pondsÂ in action. The Monday-morningÂ photos centerÂ east of 59Â around the Briar Tree Court subdivision — up in the right hand corner of the south-facing shot above are the well-moistenedÂ sports fields of White Oak Middle School.

Rectangles ofÂ forested land are mixed in with angular subdivisions and potentialÂ subdivisions-to-be in the suite of surveying shots.Â Here’s the view north over FM 1314, toward the Family Dollar Store and Executive Inn &Â Suites (on the left, below):

59 at 1314

77365, Drones, Flooding, Porter

04/20/16 1:00pm

A Dry Interlude at Greenspoint Mall and Emergency Flood Shelter

Greenspoint

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12300 North Fwy, Greenspoint, Houston, 77060

FromÂ the space between Monday’s rain and today’s, here are some late-evening snaps of the scene around Greenspoint Mall, which became a staging center forÂ flood rescue operations before dawn on Monday morning. Following the middle-of-the-night overflow of Greens Bayou, residents from several flooded apartment complexes nearbyÂ headed to the 1970s shopping center at the social media urging ofÂ city officialsÂ and rapperÂ Bun B; flood victims were later bussedÂ to theÂ Campbell Educational Center on Aldine Bender Rd. west of the Hardy tollway.

The 1.4-million-sq.-ft.Â mall and surrounding parking lot, just northeast of the intersection of Beltway 8 and I-45, was put up for sale by Triyar Group in February, after nearly a decadeÂ of talk about redeveloping the property with the help of the Greenspoint TIRZ. Â Above is the view from the north on the I-45-facing side of the complex toward Dillard’s andÂ Fitness Connection,Â currently holdingÂ a food and supplies drive and offering free showersÂ to displaced residents. On the westÂ side,Â here’s the Renaissance 15 Premier Theater, from Greenspoint Dr.:

I-45 at Beltway 8

77060, Greens Bayou, Greenspoint, Greenspoint Mall, TIRZs

04/19/16 11:00am

Videos: What S. Braeswood Looks Like Fully Submerged, and Other Aquatified Aerial Houston Scenes

Flooding, Inwood Forest, Meyerland

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A scattering of drones took to the air across Houston yesterday as the rain slowed to do some sight-seeing aroundÂ the brand new 9-county disaster zone declared by governor Abbott in theÂ afternoon. Filling up during floods is standard operating procedureÂ for Buffalo Bayou Park,Â asÂ demonstratedÂ prior to the park’s first planned official opening last spring. That’s not part of the sanctioned protocolÂ for all of Houston’s bayou corridors, butÂ it’s hard to argue about itÂ in the moment —above is the overhead view ofÂ Brays BayouÂ venturing out into broader Meyerland.

More footage comesÂ from northwest Houston,Â circlingÂ around White Oak Bayou at N. Houston Rosslyn Rd. in Inwood Forest — Â west and downstream of some the areas that got the most rainfall:

Drones Around Town

Flooding, Inwood Forest, Meyerland, Videos

04/18/16 1:00pm

White Oak Dr. Bus Stop Sign Still Valiantly Flagging Down Passengers Despite Full Metro Service Halt

Flooding, Woodland Heights

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1031 Stude St, Woodland Heights, Houston, 77007

While all bus and rail serviceÂ is currently on hold due to widespread flooding, the route 66 bus stopÂ signÂ on White Oak Dr. is still bravelyÂ performing its signaling dutiesÂ (lower left above) as water from White Oak Bayou rushes past. A reader sends several studies of the area around Stude Park at the Taylor St. bridge at the southern edge of the Woodland Heights area; here’s a few more shots of the White Oak Bayou greenways gone brown this morning, with I-10 in the background to the south:

Woodland Heights

77009, Flooding, Greenways, Metro, White Oak Bayou

04/18/16 12:30pm

Shots of Brays Bayou Stretching Out along S. Braeswood Dr.

Flooding, Meyerland

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Flooding along S. Braeswood Dr., Meyerland, Houston, 77096

Here’s this morning’s view north across S. Braeswood Dr. between Chimney Rock and Hillcroft in Meyerland, where Brays Bayou has once again been feeling out some alternate route options. That’s theÂ Congregation Beth IsraelÂ synagogue and the closed-for-the-day Shlenker School across the water on the northern bank, looking higher but not that much drier;Â currentÂ reaadings for the nearest upstream county gauge show nearly 8 inches of rainÂ over the last 12 hours, with higher totals further west. That hasn’t stopped some folks from checking things out fromÂ close-up:

Soaking In the Scene

77096, Brays-Bayou, Flooding, Meyerland

04/18/16 10:45am

Wrapping Up Hanover’s 30-Story Montrose Tower

WAMM

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3400 Montrose, WAMM, Houston, 77006

Windows are in on the Montrose side of Hanover’s 30-ft. Kroger-facing residential highrise at the corner with Hawthorne St.Â Those 2Â rows of empty spotsÂ in the grid just belowÂ theÂ former elevation of SkybarÂ have been leftÂ intentionally blank and belong to the complex’s garage-topping poolÂ deck, which looks to have its north-facing balcony already hangingÂ out over Hawthorne.

The development’s leasing websiteÂ listsÂ August 1st as the planned dateÂ for the first round of move-ins, which leaves 3 and a half months to wrap upÂ the majority of construction.Â TheÂ parking garage has yet to get its full modesty covering, per previous renderings from the Montrose side:

High on Hawthorne St.

Construction, Hanover, Highrises, Leasing, WAMM

Bayou Woods

04/15/16 4:15pm

A Wild Ride on Buckingham Dr. in Bayou Woods

Homes for Sale, Interiors

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528 Buckingham Dr., Bayou Woods, Houston, 77024

Hold on tight as you tour the sights in this 4-bedroom home overlooking a ravine in Bayou Woods. The dressed-up 1998 mansion jumped ontoÂ the market on Wednesday for just under $8 million.

AÂ landscaped path leads up to the entry fountain and circular drive:

On the Market off Memorial

77024, Art, Bayou Woods, Home Listings, Homes for Sale, Interiors

Discovery Green

04/15/16 10:15am

What It Looks Like When More than 65,000 People Try To Go to Discovery Green at Once