Headlines

• Tax Reform Adds Uncertainty to Houston’s Weak Affordable Housing Supply [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Texans Preparing for Future with Raised Homes, Private Flood Gates After Harvey [NPR]
• ‘Recovery Czar’ Marvin Odum on What Recovery Looks Like for Houston [Marketplace]
• City Launches New Website To Track Federal Funding Requests at PostHarvey.org [Click2Houston]
• Costco-Anchored Retail Center Near Greenway Plaza Changes Hands [Houston Chronicle]
• Luxury Retailer Events Gifts Leaving River Oaks Shopping Center After 30 Years for Westheimer Location [HBJ]
• Jersey Village Red Barn Furniture Closing For Good in February [Community Impact Newspaper]
• Metro Saw Its 2nd-Worst Month for Train Crashes in November Despite Recent Safety Solutions [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• The Most Dangerous Intersections for Pedestrians in Texas [Houston Press]
• The Most Congested Roadways in Texas, 2017 Edition [The Urban Edge]
• Fire Destroyed About 35 Units in South Houston’s Ashton Place Apartments Yesterday [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Hermann Park: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• American Furniture Warehouse Co. Building $50M Distribution Center and Showroom in Southeast Houston [HBJ ($)]
• New Montrose Honky-Tonk Goodnight Charlie’s Has Opened [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Hopdoddy Burger Bar Appears To Be Eyeing CityCentre for 4th Houston Location [Eater Houston]
• U.S. Home Sales Climb to 11-Year High in November [Houston Chronicle]
• Average Rents for Class A Apartments in Greater Houston Have Increased More Than $70 Since Harvey [Houston Public Media]
• The State of Meyerland 4 Months After Harvey [Click2Houston]
• Flooding Lessons from the Netherlands [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• FEMA-Required Spray-Foam Insulation Could Cause Problems in Houston’s Climate [Houston Public Media]
• Ashley Furniture Opening Temporary Dickinson Store in Former Palais Royal Space [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Reflecting on What It Means To Stay in a Flood-Prone Area [The Urban Edge]

Photo of Buffalo Bayou: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• The 10 Biggest Houston Real Estate Stories of 2017 [Bisnow]
• A Few Renderings of Bank of America Center’s $15M Renovation [HBJ]
• Indianapolis-Based Duke Realty Purchases Bayport Distribution Center II in Pasadena [Houston Chronicle]
• Mattress Firm Shuttering 200 Stores Over the Next 18 Months [HBJ]
• Heights Art Space 14 Pews To Close, Converted Church To Go On Sale in Late February [Houston Chronicle]
• Delayed Downtown Beer Garden Frank’s Backyard Could Debut Early Next Year [Eater Houston]
• Tax Bill Preserves Historic Tax Credit That Saved Some of Houston’s Oldest Buildings [Houston Chronicle]
• The Winners of Houston Mod’s 2017 Biennial Preservation Awards [Houston Chronicle]
• Mayor Turner Has Asked Governor Abbott for $200M To Speed Up Harvey Recovery [Houston Public Media]
• Senate Delays Voting on $81B Disaster Aid Package [CBS News]

Photo of Market Square Park: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Renovated Galleria Office Tower I Lands 2 New Tenants [Houston Chronicle]
• Talos Energy Moving Headquarters from One Allen Center to Three Allen Center [Houston Chronicle]
• The 7 Major Skyscrapers That Were Completed or Came Close to It in Houston in 2017 [Houston Chronicle]
• Harris County Moves Forward with Final Phase of Brays Bayou Flood Control Project [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Downtown’s Barringer Bar & Lounge Will Close To Make Way for New Restaurant at 108 Main St. [HBJ]
• Zagat Ranks Houston Among the 30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America in 2017 [HBJ]
• Houston Eclipses Dallas as Public Storage’s Largest Market in Texas [Houston Chronicle]
• How the U.S. Renter Population Has Changed Since 1930 [Apartment List]
• A Review of Jim Blackburn’s A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast [OffCite]

Photo of South Colleges Servery at Rice University : Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Spec Project Stafford Grove Industrial Park in Southwest Houston Has Reached 85% Occupancy [Realty News Report]
• Slideshow: The Most Expensive Homes Sold in Houston in November [HBJ]
• Montrose Management District Chairman To Resign [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Will $81 Billion Be Enough To Defend Texas from the Next Harvey? [Houston Public Media]
• Houston on the Forefront of the Urban Resilience Movement After Harvey [The Guardian]
• The Breakfast Klub Owner Marcus Davis Opening New Restaurant Kulture Near the GRB Early Next Year [PaperCity Magazine]
• Grazia Italian Kitchen Opening Third Houston Location in Katy, Speakeasy Included [HBJ]
• Video: Life Inside China’s Total Surveillance State [Wall Street Journal]

Photo of Buffalo Bayou Park: Dan Singer

• Texas Medical Center’s TMC3 Campus Could Have Multibillion-Dollar Impact on Houston [HBJ ($)]
• Chris Shepherd Opening 2 New Montrose Restaurants Next Year in Underbelly Space, Former Jimmy Chew’s [Eater Houston]
• The Latest Timeline for Some of the Openings at Valley Ranch Town Center [HBJ]
• Auction Winners Start Clearing Out What’s Salvageable of Downtown’s Spaghetti Warehouse [Houston Chronicle]
• Rice Houston Engagement and Recovery Effort Awards Funding for 9 Harvey-Related Projects [Rice News]
• Turner: More Than 500 Houston Homeless Were Given Permanent Housing During 6-Month Period [Click2Houston]
• The Story Behind That Anonymous Spring House with a Christmas Lights Display Set to Houston Rap [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Cambridge Office Building at Rice University: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Dallas-Based Westmount Realty Capital Adds Copper Mill Apartments to Houston Portfolio [Houston Chronicle]
• LGI Homes Opens Affordable Community Villa North for Sale in North Houston [Builder Magazine]
• Inside Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale’s Former Northgate Forest Home Next to Hakeem Olajuwon’s Former Home [Houston Chronicle]
• Grand Texas Breaks Ground on Big Rivers Waterpark in New Caney [Community Impact Newspaper]
• HPD Unveils $20M Police Substation in Southwest Houston [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• New Coworking Office Coming to Houston, The Woodlands [HBJ ($)]
• Bobcat Teddy’s Icehouse Opens in Former Jimmy’s Ice House Space in the Heights [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Katie’s Seafood Market Eyes Joe’s Crab Shack Space at Pier 19 [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Board Game Cafe Tea + Victory Opening Early Next Year at 20th and TC Jester [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Urban Institute Mapping Tool Shows Project Population Growth of Houston [The Urban Edge]
• Soon You’ll Be Able To Bike from One End of Downtown to the Other with Lamar Street Bike Lane Extension [Houston Public Media]
• How Decades of Official Inaction and Procrastination Played a Role in Harvey Flooding [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• After 3 Floods, One Houston Family Debates Leaving Meyerland [Houston Public Media]
• Hurricane Harvey Costs Texas Prison System More Than $8M [Houston Chronicle]
• Contrary to Reports, Houston Has the Right Approach to Urban Development [City Journal]
• Video: People Are Making Big Money Kicking Detroit Residents Out of Their Homes [Vice News]
• Architect Paolo Soleri’s Daughter Recounts Childhood Abuse in Open Letter [Curbed]

Photo of downtown Houston from White Oak Bayou Greenway trail: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Newly Renovated Downtown Office Building 1001 McKinney on the Market [Bisnow]
• Avera Cos., Beazer Homes Buy Land in La Porte for Commercial, Residential Projects [HBJ ($)]
• Number of Adults Living with a Roommate or Parent on the Rise in Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• Former Houston Press Restaurant Critic Opening Singaporean-Inspired Spot Sing in Garden Oaks [Houston Chronicle]
• Some Neighbors Speak Out Against Proposed Homeless Shelter at Metro Bus Facility [Houston Public Media]
• Court Date for White Oak Music Hall Noise Lawsuit Pushed Back [The Leader]
• Houston ISD To Rebuild and Elevate 4 Harvey-Damaged Elementary Schools [Houston Public Media]
• Houston’s Levee Systems Stand an Even Worse Chance Against Future Storms [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• 2 Men Fatally Crushed While Attempting To Raise Flooded Parkwood Estates Home [Houston Chronicle]
• Are We Protecting the Builders Doing All the Rebuilding in Houston? [The Urban Edge]
• University of Houston To Lead New Gulf Coast Hurricane Research Institute [AP]
• Climate Change Likely Increased Chances For Harvey’s Heavy Rain [Houston Public Media]
• ‘Ask This Old House’ Filmed Special Houston Episode on Rebuilding After Harvey [Houston Public Media]

Photo of Hermann Park: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Dallas Fund Buys 4-Property, 16-Building Houston Industrial Portfolio [Realty News Report]
• Houston Home Sales and Leases Up in November Despite Tight Supply, Finds HAR [HBJ]
• Houston Suburbs Feel Varied Effects of Annexation Law Change [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• What $1,100 a Month in Rent Will Get You in Houston [abc13]
• Houston City Council Approves $425M Contract Establishing Temporary FEMA Housing Program [Houston Public Media]
• Shuttered Pappa Charlies Barbeque in East Downtown Blames Closure In Part on Harvey [Culturemap]
• Moody’s Warns of Credit Impacts to Cities That Don’t Plan for Climate Change [Houston Public Media]

Photo of Retrospect Coffee, 3709 La Branch St.: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• BP Pushes Back Move-In Date for Flood-Damaged Energy Corridor Campus [HBJ ($)]
• Plastic Logistics Company Plantgistix Opens $24M Baytown Warehouse [HBJ]
• Beck Redden Renews Lease on Top 2 Floors of LyondellBasell Tower in Downtown’s Houston Center [Houston Chronicle]
• Downtown’s Main St. Ranks Among the Most Expensive Stretches of Real Estate in the Country, According to JLL [Culturemap]
• Sugar Land Completes Annexation of 2 Fort Bend County Communities [abc13]
• First Cypress-Area Brewery, Wicked Boxer Brewing, Soft-Opening This Saturday [Bisnow]
• Houston City Council To Vote Today on $400M Contract Establishing a Temporary FEMA Housing Program [Houston Public Media]
• Houston Has Allowed 20,000 Parcels Worth $13.5B To Be Developed in or Along Floodways [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• How Cities Can Harness the Flood-Fighting Powers of Urban Parks [Next City]
• Urban Land Institute’s Patrick L. Phillips on How To Address Houston’s Flooding Problems [Realty News Report]
• City Controller Puts 20-Year, $37M Recycling Deal for Houston on Hold [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Midtown Park: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Capital Retail Properties Developing the Shops at Spring Village Near the ExxonMobil Campus [Realty News Report]
• Investors Acquire Former Weatherford Campus North of Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• San Antonio-Based Valcap Group Acquires Multifamily Community in Katy [Realty News Report]
• Houston ISD Proposes Tearing Down 4 Elementary Schools Damaged by Harvey [Houston Chronicle]
• Kroger Marketplace Opening Jan. 26 Within the Grand Central Park Master-Planned Community [HBJ ($)]
• Inside WeWork’s 4-Story Galleria Location Opening Next Month [HBJ ($)]
• Viking Restaurant Ship & Shield That Took Over Byzantio’s Space Blames Closure on Harvey [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Emmaline Replaces Former Teala’s Mexican Restaurant on West Dallas [HBJ]
• Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café Set To Open Locations in La Centerra at Cinco Ranch, The Woodlands Next Year [Houston Chronicle]
• City Considers Repurposing Part of Metro Property on McKee St. as Temporary Homeless Shelter [Click2Houston]
• Judge Signs Emergency Order Against Montrose Management District [Houston Chronicle]
• Can Mattress Firm Survive the Correction of Its Aggressive Growth? [Bisnow]
• Where Lyft Took Riders the Most in 2017 [abc13]
• Massive Mural of Underwater Sea Life Unveiled in Magnolia Park [Houston Public Media]

Photo of Mytiburger, 2211 W. 43rd St.: thranth via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• The Industries That Will Hire in Houston Next Year [HBJ ($)]
• Inside the 3,000-SF Suite at Hotel Sorella CityCentre in West Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• El Tiempo Cantina To Open Webster Location This Week [HBJ]
• Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. Starts Crowdfunding Campaign for New Brewery and Restaurant in Washington Ave. Arts District [HBJ]
• Viral Tweet Spurs Business at La Casa Bakery and Cafe North of Downtown [abc13]
• Greater Houston Partnership: Harvey’s Impact Will Guide Development in Houston [AP]
• How One Tax Firm’s Federal Tax Refund Program Gives Residential and Business Owners Relief After Harvey [Realty News Report]
• Extra Dredging Required to Deepen Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay After Harvey [NPR]
• What the Dutch Can Both Teach and Learn from Houston on Designing for Flood Resilience [OffCite]
• After Harvey, Houston Residents Must Challenge City’s Preference for Growth [Houston Chronicle ($)]

Photo of 3102 Norhill Blvd.: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Dayton Developing 7,000-Acre Master-Planned Community in East Houston [HBJ ($)]
• Commerce Green Office Park in Sugar Land Fully Leased [Houston Chronicle]
• Hakeem Olajuwon’s Former North Houston Home on the Market for $595K [HBJ]
• Tilman Fertitta’s Mastro’s Steakhouse Opens Today at The Post Oak [Houston Chronicle]
• Galleria LePeep Moves a Third of a Mile Down the Road to 4340 Westheimer [Eater Houston]
• How City and County Officials Reacted Behind the Scenes After Harvey’s Landfall [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Selling Homes a Challenge in Harvey-Hit Neighborhoods [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Harvey Could Be a Turning Point for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development in Houston [OffCite]
• What It Means for Houston Home Sales If the National Flood Insurance Program Expires [KHOU]
• Donations Help Houston Fire Department Expand Flood Rescue Fleet [Houston Chronicle]
• Federal Judge Upholds Rule Denying FEMA Relief for 3 Texas Churches [Houston Public Media]
• Inside the Sudden Demise of the Houston Press [Texas Observer]
• Overnight Snowfall Causes Some School Delays, Icy Roads [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Buffalo Bayou Park: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• M-M Properties and Baupost Group Partnership Expected To Buy Marathon Oil Tower [Realty News Report]
• Renovation for Energy Corridor Office Building at 1401 Enclave Pkwy. [HBJ]
• Grocery Stores On the Rise Outside the Loop [Houston Public Media]
• Rent and Commute Times Increase in Houston, Finds Census Bureau’s American Community Survey [The Urban Edge]
• Inside Hines’s New Downtown Highrise Aris Market Square [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston’s First ‘Chef Hall’ Opening on the Ground Floor of Aris Market Square in Summer 2018 [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• 3-Story Bar Oakmont Debuts Near Downtown with Own Miniature Golf Course [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Baker Street Pub & Grill Has Closed Both Its Willowbrook and Cypress Locations [Culturemap]
• The Most Dangerous Intersections in Houston [Click2Houson]
• Hurricane Harvey Could Leave Texas Budget $1 Billion Short [Houston Chronicle]
• More Than 1,600 Houston Property Owners Who Flooded During Harvey Will Likely Have To Raise Their Homes [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Hotels Had Boost in 3rd Quarter Following Hurricane Harvey [HBJ ($)]
• Greater Houston Region’s Leaders on Harvey Aftermath [Houston Chronicle]
• Metropolitan Organization Encouraging Harvey Victims To Keep Appealing if Their FEMA Claim is Denied [Houston Public Media]
• New Joint Kinder Institute-Baker Institute Report Aims to Create a ‘Flood-Literate Populace’ [The Urban Edge]

Photo of Sawyer Yards: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Marathon Oil Tower Back on the Market [HBJ ($)]
• Brennan Investment Group of Chicago Acquires 5-Building Fairway Park [Realty News Report]
• In Houston It’s Cheaper To Own Than Rent [Urban Institute]
• Stages Repertory Theatre Plans $30.5M Theater Complex in North Montrose [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Grand Texas To Break Ground on Big Rivers Waterpark Next Week [abc13]
• Cavo Coffee Expanding to River Oaks District [Eater Houston]
• Proposals for Buffalo Bayou from UH’s Risky Habit[at] Design Studio [OffCite]

Photo of mural by Pixel Pancho at the HUE Mural Festival, AG Antiques, 313 W. 19th St.: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool