Headlines

• Orlando-Based Parkway Properties Purchases Phoenix Tower in Greenway Plaza for $124.5M [Houston Business Journal]
• Revival of $450M River Oaks District Project Along Westheimer Adds ‘Texas Flair’ to Modern Design; Begins Construction in Spring [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Slideshow: Skanska’s 20-Story Galleria Office Tower Reaches 20 Stories [Prime Property]
• Housing Authority Approves $72.2M Budget for Demolishing Public Housing, Building Mixed-Income Developments [Galveston County Daily News]
• Mexican Steakhouse La Casa del Caballo Latest Restaurant To Take Over Former La Strada Spot in Montrose [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• City Council To Vote Wednesday on Pilot Washington Ave. ‘Parking Benefit District’ with Meters, Expanded Residential Permits [KHOU]
• HPD Pulls Deejay’s Plug on the Menil’s 25th Anniversary Outdoor Dance Party [Art Attack]
• Houston Wins Census Recount Appeal, 2010 Population Now Over the 2.1M Mark [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Carlos Jiménez’s Data and Library Service Center for Rice University Featured in Book on ‘Global Architecture’ [Culturemap]

Photo of The Art Guys’ “Situation Sculpture #1” at Airline Drive and East Whitney Street: Christopher Newsom via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• HISD Opens Bidding for $1.89B in Bond Program Projects [Houston Business Journal]
• Galveston’s Mixed-Income Developments Could Pay Higher Taxes Than Some Luxury Apartments [Galveston County Daily News]
• Construction Fencing Now Up, Major Demolition of Robertson Stadium To Begin December 10 [CBS Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• At 70,000 SF, TopGolf Is Easily Houston’s Largest Sports Bar [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Feast on Westheimer Not Renewing Its Lease, Will Close Next August [Eating Our Words; previously on Swamplot]
• Harris County Toll Road System Collects Nearly $520M in Tolls a Year [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• League City Rolls Out Adaptive Traffic Lights To Decrease Travel Times, Maintenance Costs [Galveston County Daily News]
• Former Council Member, Mayoral Candidate Peter Brown Reinvents Himself as ‘Pedestrian Pete’ [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Experts To CT Scan Benzene-Rich Air Above Galena Park, Manchester Looking for Dangerous Levels of Emissions [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Fire, Drought Victims Can Get Free Trees During December 8 Giveaway [Click2Houston]
• Dallas Museum of Art Doing Away with Admission Fees, So Why Can’t the MFAH? [Arts + Culture Magazine]

Photo of Southwest Fwy. feeder: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• City and Houze Advanced Building Science Will Build up to 80 Natural-Gas-Powered Homes in Independence Heights [Houston Chronicle]
• Slideshow: Developer-Approved Photos of Springwoods Village, the New ExxonMobil-Side Neighborhood [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Ranks as Fastest-Growing U.S. Metro Economy, Finds Brookings Institution Report [KUHF]
• Chair King Backyard Store Replacing Glick Textiles Fabric Warehouse along 59 Between Kirby, Greenbriar [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston Park Board Approves $4.2M Beach ‘Renourishment’ Project, To Begin in September [Houston Chronicle]
• Upper Kirby Westheimer Redo Will Get Rid of Utility Poles, Cut Traffic Down to 2 Lanes During Construction [Culturemap]
• U.S. 290 Commuters Now Have Northwest Dodge’s Elaborate Animated Light Display to Look at While They Sit in Traffic [Cypress Creek Mirror]
• 4 Still-Jinxed Houston Restaurant Locations [Eating Our Words]
• Restoring More Than 35M Historic Texas Maps, Documents [KUHF]

Photo of Gessner Rd. by Memorial City Mall: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Toll Brothers Buys, Will Build on 692 Acres in Montgomery County near I-45, Future Grand Parkway [Prime Property]
• KB Home Purchases 103 Acres in Katy for 275 Built-to-Order Homes [Houston Business Journal]
• Trader Joe’s on Voss at San Felipe To Open January 4 [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Blacksmith Coffee Opening in Former Mary’s Spot on Westheimer Late December [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Luby’s Buying Cheeseburger in Paradise, Plans To Expand [Houston Business Journal]
• University of Houston Will Lose 2,140 Parking Spaces During Stadium Construction [Culturemap]
• Dominique Sachse Tours $12.9M Home in River Oaks [Click2Houston]
• Residents at Odds Over Historic District Designation for Germantown [abc13]
• Lights in the Heights To Be Toned Down Again: No Esplanade Entertainment, Street Vendors [Leader News; previously on Swamplot]
• State Auctioning Off Right To Have HOUSTON Vanity License Plate [Hair Balls]
• Texas’s ‘Richest’ City Is Midland, Finds Report [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Blacksmith Coffee Under Construction, 1022 Westheimer: Candace Garcia

• New ‘Economic Development Zone’ Along South Loop, Northeast End of Downtown Will Include Reliant Park, AstroWorld Site [Houston Chronicle]
• HOT Lanes Now Open on I-45 North [KUHF]
• Construction of Mixed-Income Developments on Sites of Demolished Galveston Public Housing Projects Could Begin Next Summer [Galveston County Daily News]
• Council Votes To Demolish Single Story House Next to Bellaire Library [Bellaire Examiner]
• Hines Outsourcing Its Houston, Dallas Leasing Operations to Colvill Office Properties [Prime Property]
• Hospitality Industry Added $13B to Harris County Last Year [KUHF]
• The Denuding of Batanga’s Downtown Patio [Eating Our Words]
• Residents Push To Revamp Castillo Park [Ultimate Heights News]
• Drought Drives Texans To Install Rainwater Collection Systems [Austin-American Statesman]
• Galveston Considering Projects To Improve Mobility, Access, Traffic Circulation on the Island [Galveston County Daily News]
• Flasher Exposing Himself to Visitors at T.C. Jester Park [abc13]
• 7 Formerly Jinxed Houston Restaurant Locations That Have Reversed the Curse [Eating Our Words]

Photo of Nob Hill Park, Spring Branch: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• City of Kemah Exploring Ways To Develop 30-Acre Waterfront Tract on Galveston Bay Between FM 518, League City Pkwy. [Culturemap]
• Pearland Couple Sent to Prison for Downtown Kirby Lofts Condo Sales Scheme [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Opening Marketing Center in Magnolia Next Month, in Creekside Village Next Summer [Houston Business Journal]
• Slideshow: Aerial Views of the ExxonMobil Campus Under Construction [Prime Property]
• Still No Space Shuttle, But JSC Will Preserve One of the Aircraft That Carried It Around [Houston Chronicle]
• Washburn Tunnel Will Close Next 2 Weekends for Security Camera Installation [Houston Business Journal]
• Lakeville Homeowners in Katy Complain About Their Cars Getting Towed for Being Parked on the Curb, Grass [abc13]
• Galveston Community Radio Looking To Revive Local Station KSTB at 101.5 FM, Off the Air Since Ike [Galveston County Daily News]
• Workshop Tonight Will Review Proposed Changes to Galveston’s Permitting Process [Galveston County Daily News]

Photo of Alamo Plaza Motor Hotel sign, 4343 Old Spanish Trail: Molly Block via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Downtown’s KBR Tower Changes Hands with $174.6M Purchase by New York’s W.P. Carey [Houston Chronicle]
• Investment Firm Buys Office Building in The Woodlands Town Center [Houston Chronicle]
• Fiscal Cliff Diving Shouldn’t Trigger Downturn in Houston Real Estate Market, Says Economist [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Hoping To Add 1,000 Apartments for the Homeless Through HUD Vouchers [KUHF]
• Uchi Restaurant Plans To Sell Each Side of the Iconic Felix Mexican Restaurant Sign Separately, on eBay [My Table]
• Pay Plan for Galveston Seawall Will Go Into Effect By March, Without Meters [Houston Chronicle]
• Ike Dike Dream Not Dead Yet, Even After Sandy, Says Concept’s Creator [Galveston County Daily News]
• Most of Texas Has Returned To ‘Moderate’ Drought Conditions or Worse [Houston Chronicle]
• Galveston Animal Control Catches Coyote Accused of Killing Pets [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Audubon’s 80-Year-Old Edith L. Moore Log Cabin To Be Restored, Updated [abc13]
• Buffalo Soldiers Museum Moves into New Home at Houston Light Guard Armory Building [Art Attack]

Photo: Candace Garcia via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston Home Sales Up 35%, Prices Up More Than 8% Over Last Year; Inventory at Lowest Level in More Than a Decade, Says HAR Report [Houston Business Journal]
• Park Board Hoping To Increase Tourism to Galveston’s Far East End By Leasing Tracts to Viable Business Interests [Galveston County Daily News]
• Woodlands Township Supports $2.49M Extension of Pathways Around Waterway [Woodlands Villager]
• Westwick Residents Complain About ‘Crazy’ Traffic as Commuters Avoid I-10 Slowdowns [abc13]
• Galveston Asking Residents To Conserve Water; Rainfall Down in Brazos River Watershed [Houston Chronicle]
• Thanksgiving Tradition: Family Camping Since Tuesday Outside Best Buy Store in Meyerland for Black Friday Deals [KHOU]
• Why Doesn’t Reliant Stadium Open Its Retractable Roof on Nice Days? [Hair Balls]

Photo of the Huntingdon: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• David Weekley Homes To Build 68-Home Community on Former Stevenson Elementary Site in Cottage Grove [Houston Business Journal]
• Pine Forest Apartments in Dickinson Under Contract to New Buyer Planning $40M Renovation, Ike Damage Repairs [Galveston County Daily News]
• Gallery Furniture Planning Third Store, Between Katy and Sugar Land [Furniture Today]
• US 290-IH 610 North Loop Connector Ramp Now Open to Full Capacity [Cypress Creek Mirror]
• Redflex Traffic Systems Drops Red-Light Camera Ballot Lawsuit Against League City [Galveston County Daily News]
• Orlando-Based Exotic Driving Experience Expanding to Angleton Track Next Year [Houston Business Journal]
• Houston Rodeo Donates to Memorial Park Reforestation Efforts To Help Restore Canopy for Campers [Houston Chronicle]
• Architecture Center of Houston’s Annual Gingerbread Build-Off Set for Dec. 8 at City Hall [Ultimate Montrose]

Photo of Alabama Trader Joe’s: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Martin Fein To Demolish Willowick Townhomes at West Alabama, Las Palmas Within Next 2 Weeks [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Owner of Phoenix Tower Acquires Westchase I and II for $154.8M [Houston Chronicle]
• Ben Milam Demo Third Downtown Implosion in More Than 20 Years [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Job Growth Numbers Show Area Construction Industry on the Mend [Houston Chronicle]
• Ligne Roset’s New Showroom in West Ave [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• OKRA’s Downtown Charity Bar Opening Early Next Month [Eater Houston]
• Increased Urbanization Causing Fish Kills, More Bacteria, Pollutants in Dickinson Bayou [Houston Chronicle]
• Hill at Miller Outdoor Theater To Be Closed for Improvement Project Until April [Houston Chronicle]
• Colony Park Residents in Galveston Concerned About Coyotes Attacking Their Pets [abc13]
• Houston Airport System Rolls Out Online Tool To Monitor Security Checkpoint Wait Times [Houston Business Journal; latest data]
• Everything You Wanted To Know About the Port of Houston [Houston Strategies]
• Slideshow: Chalk Drawings from Downtown’s Seventh Annual Via Colori Street-Painting Festival [Houston Chronicle]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Bruce Molzan’s Brownstone Restaurant Reopening after Thanksgiving as 3 New Concepts [Eating Our Words]
• Second Liberty Kitchen Location Moving into Former Vida ‘Sexy Tex-Mex’ Space on San Felipe Next Year [29-95.com; previously on Swamplot]
• 2 Converted Warehouses Downtown Designated as Protected Landmarks [Prime Property]
• Quiet Doubling of Incentive Zone Area May Lure Developers Downtown [Houston Business Journal ($)]
• $86M Renovation of Mickey Leland Federal Building Irks Congressman Who Opposed Stimulus [abc13]
• Former Texans Punter Sues Reliant Stadium Over Injury on Grass Turf ‘Tray’ Seam [Houston Chronicle]
• Lawsuit Claims Dioxin-Contaminated San Jacinto River Making Neighbors Sick [Click2Houston]
• 90-Day Burn Ban in Effect for Brazoria County [Pearland Journal]
• Can Tourists Protect the Texas Gulf Coast from Storm Surges? [OffCite]

Photo of Shadowdale Dr. stormwater ditch: elnina999 via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston First Selling Key Downtown Parcel Next to Convention Center Hotel Site [Prime Property]
• Apartments, Strip Centers Not What Dickinson Had in Mind for 45 Acres Off I-45, Hughes Rd. [Galveston County Daily News]
• Alabama Company Acquires Waterstone Apartments, Saying Nearby Exxon Campus Will Strengthen Market [Houston Business Journal]
• 4 League City Property Owners Given Preliminary Approval To Secede from Historic District [Galveston County Daily News]
• Blairs Selling ‘Legendary’ $5.4M Estate in Grogan’s Point [Woodlands Villager]
• $5M Bill Coats Bike Bridge Opens Up Hard-To-Reach Areas of Hermann Park Near Brays Bayou [Houston Chronicle]
• $12M Expansion of Fairmont Pkwy. Completed [abc13]
• Adult Novelty Store in Front of Tomball Walmart Has Agreement Not To Sell Items That Would ‘Offend Walmart Customers’ [abc13]
• Antiques Show Coming to GRB This Weekend [Culturemap]

Photo of Blair House, 205 Grogan’s Point Rd.: Woodlands Villager

• Downtown Redevelopment Authority Approves First Tax Incentives, for SkyHouse Apartments — Located Outside Incentive Program Boundaries [Houston Business Journal]
• Ben Milam Hotel Near Minute Maid Park To Be Dynamited on December 9th [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• TopGolf Opening 3-Story West Houston Indoor Range Next Month near I-10, Hwy. 6 [Houston Business Journal]
• Katy Whole Foods on Fry Rd. at Grand Pkwy. Scheduled for January 30th Opening [Houston Business Journal]
• Building Industry Will Have Biggest Growth in Houston in 2012, Predicts Economist [Houston Chronicle]
• The Woodlands Township Seeks Permanent Home for Giant Outdoor Ice Rink [Houston Chronicle]
• Clear Lake Subdivision Setting Up Traps To Catch ‘Fearless’ Feral Hogs [abc13]
• Life-Size Statue of Boxer Jack Johnson Unveiled at New Park on Former Central HS Building Grounds [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center: elnina999 via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• 2 New Hotels Planned for Galveston [Galveston County Daily News]
• Texas Southern University Planning $41M, 7-Story, 800-Student Dorm [Click2Houston]
• More Property Owners Looking To Secede from League City’s Historic District [Galveston County Daily News]
• Preview of October Houston Home Data Shows Big Increase in Sales, Up for 17th Straight Month [Tom Plant’s Houston Real Estate Blog]
• Houston Home Prices Up 6.6 Percent in September Over Last Year, Finds CoreLogic Study [Houston Business Journal]
• Texas’ Fastest Tollway Now Charging About 15 Cents Per Mile [Houston Business Journal]
• First Death Reported on 85 MPH Toll Road [Click2Houston]
• Houston Civil Engineers Highlight Significant Infrastructure Deficiencies in City Report Card [Cypress Creek Mirror]
• Oak Forest Residents Complain About ‘Endless’ Pile of Trash on Rosslyn Near 43rd St. [abc13]
• Closed Pedestrian Bridge on Grogan’s Mill Nature Trail Too Isolated, ‘Problematic’ To Repair [Courier of Montgomery County]
• Another Bill Filed To Ban Texting While Driving in Texas [Houston Chronicle]
• More Than 65,000 Sign Petition on White House Website Calling for Texas Secession — How Many from Texas? [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Harris County Courthouse: James Ray via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Hicks Ventures Redeveloping Great Indoors on Katy Fwy. Inside Beltway 8 into an Office Building [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Atlanta Developer Planning $67M Downtown Highrise Apartments But Wants Tax Break First [Houston Chronicle]
• With Referendum Passed, Metro To Add Shelters at 100 Bus Stops, Replace Aging Buses [Houston Chronicle]
• Texas City Considering Ban on Big Rigs Driving in Residential Neighborhoods [Galveston County Daily News]
• City ‘Czar’ Proposing Permits and Meters To Make Sure Washington Ave’s Big Spenders Can Find Parking Places [Houston Chronicle]
• Megabus Revives Houston-Austin Route, Adds Downtown Dallas Stop [Culturemap]
• City Council Approves Funding Ike Dike Study [Galveston County Daily News]
• Houston on the Verge of Another Drought After Dry Spell [KUHF]
• The 30-Ft. Tall Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing in Architect Bill Stern’s Living Room [Culturemap]

Photo of Sky Lobby, JPMorgan Chase Tower: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool