Headlines

• Houston’s Median Home Price Hit All-Time Record of $235,000 in May, Finds HAR [HBJ]
• Slideshow: Skyscrapers That Will Join Houston’s Skyline in 2018 [Houston Chronicle]
• Hines Seeks Reimbursement for Cost of Chronicle Building Basement Cocoon in Downtown Tunnel Dispute [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• White Oak Music Hall Neighbors Add City To Lawsuit, Alleging It’s Not Enforcing Sound Ordinance [Click2Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Are Management Districts on the Brink of Extinction? [Houston Press; previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston Bay Foundation To Implement Part of Its ‘Bacteria Reduction Plan’ [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot]
• New Building, Landscape Raises Profile of Houston’s Emancipation Park [OffCite Blog; previously on Swamplot]
• The Problems with Outdoor Festivals in Houston [Houston Press; previously on Swamplot]
• The Top Trending Bars, Restaurants, Tourist Attractions, and Parks in Houston, Based on Google Search [Culturemap]
• The Best Houston Neighborhoods To Raise a Family in This Year, According to Niche [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Greenway Plaza: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston Ranked Fourth in Nation for First Quarter Industrial Real Estate Sales by Colliers International [Houston Chronicle]
• First Tenants at Grand Central Park’s 336 Marketplace on Former Camp Strake Land To Include Kroger Signature Store, HomeGoods, Michaels [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Apache Corp. Extends Office Lease at 2000 Post Oak Blvd. in the Galleria Area [HBJ]
• Cat Cafe El Gato Plans To Open Full-Service Coffeehouse in a Shipping Container by August [Houstonia; previously on Swamplot]
• Cash-Strapped Houston Sells off $2M Worth of City Streets [Houston Chronicle]
• Why Some Houston Neighborhoods Bear the Brunt of Junk Waste [The Urban Edge; previously on Swamplot]
• Three Years Later, Where Does Sunday Streets Go from Here? [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Bryan-Based HeliBacon Lets You Gun Down Feral Hogs from a Helicopter [San Antonio Express-News; previously on Swamplot]
• Treehouse Hotel To Debut 30 Feet Over Creek Near Columbus 75 Miles West of Houston [Culturemap]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Everest Medical Properties Group Buys $58M Medical Office Portfolio in Southwest Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• Transwestern: Houston Healthcare Market Positioned Well for Long-Term Growth [Realty News Report]
• Large-Acreage Land Deals Making a Comeback in Houston Amid Oil Recovery [HBJ ($)]
• Galveston Facing Construction Workforce Shortage as Homes and Building Rise [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Rental Households in Suburban Houston Grew 13% from 2011 to 2015, Finds RentCafe Study [Houston Public Media]
• Américas Chef Michael Cordúa’s Memorial-Area Home on the Market for $2.89M [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• Breastaurant Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery Opening June 19 at Pinnacle Park [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Fake Facebook Protest Announcement Ostensibly Calling for Sam Houston Statue Removal Spurs Actual Armed Counter Protest at Hermann Park [Houston Chronicle; more here]
• Development of Eastern Glades Now Underway as Part of Memorial Park Master Plan [The Leader]
• 5 Kingwood Sidewalks Getting Repaired or Replaced Through Safe Sidewalk Program [Community Impact Newspaper]
• The Hunt for Factors To Predict Houston’s Most Dangerous Intersections [The Urban Edge]
• Lake Conroe Resident Sues Homeowners Association for ‘Continuous Sinkhole’ Near Her Home [The Courier]

Photo: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Johnson Development Corp. Acquires 1,619 Acres in Northwest Harris County for Master Planned Community [Realty News Report]
• More Info on the Hotel Alessandra’s Bar and Dining Options [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• 1114 Texas Ave. Next to Magnolia Hotel To Become a Hyatt Place Hotel [HBJ ($)]
• Korean Chain Paik’s Noodle Quietly Opens Its First Houston Restaurant [Eater Houston]
• American Airlines Debuts New Lounge at IAH in Terminal A [HBJ]
• Draft Design Guidelines for Houston Heights Historic Districts Will Be Online Monday, Prior to Public Meeting on June 20 [The Leader; previously on Swamplot]
• A Deeper Dive into Conroe’s Rapid Growth [The Urban Edge]
• Uber To Have Designated Pickup, Dropoff Spot Downtown at the Esperson Building [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Developer Giorgio Borlenghi Shelves 26-Story Villa Borghese Project on Bammel Ln., but the Bungalows Are Still Being Scooted Offsite [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Mike Spears of Lee & Associates: Houston Trending Towards Becoming a Distribution Hub Like DFW [Realty News Report]
• Apartment Project Residences at Hardy Yards Near Downtown Moves Forward [HBJ ($); previously on Swamplot]
• How Hispanic Homebuyers Are ‘Becoming a Powerhouse’ in Houston [HBJ ($)]
• Memorial Hermann Health System, Medistar Corp. Opening Acute-Care Community in Katy Area Next Year [HBJ]
• Paul Qui Feels Out Potential Reception for a Second Houston Restaurant from Twitter [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• 2 Houston Running Routes Ranked Among Most Popular Routes in America by App MapMyRun [Houston Chronicle]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Mixed-Use Development District West, Off Grand Parkway, Will Be ‘Very Similar’ to CityCentre [HBJ ($)]
• Steadfast Development Building Industrial Park in Northwest Houston [Realty News Report]
• Kuraray America First Tenant in Avera’s New Bayport Logistics Park [Realty News Report]
• Inside Under-Construction Luxury Condo Tower Arabella [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Friendswood Development Launches New Urban Community in Garden Oaks [HBJ ($)]
• Where Houston Ranks Nationally for Its Property Tax Rate [The Urban Edge]
• Denver-Based Brunch Chain Snooze Opening Next Houston Restaurant June 21 in Town & Country [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Nacho Nachos Food Truck Planning Brick and Mortar in Pearland [Houston Chronicle]
• Roka Akor Sets Opening Date of June 26 on Ground Floor of 2929 Weslayan [PaperCity Magazine; previously on Swamplot]
• NOLA Poboys Opens Second Houston Location with Webster Shop [Houston Chronicle]
• Galveston County Commissioners Court To Pay $1.7M for Private Land Around Rollover Pass [Galveston County Daily News ($); previously on Swamplot]
• California Solar Company Sunrun Makes First Foray onto Houston Rooftops [HBJ ($)]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Signs Houston’s Office Properties Market Seems To Be Stabilizing [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Kellogg Closing Houston Distribution Center, but Other Warehouse Inventory Continues To Grow in Houston [Houston Public Media]
• Slideshow: Inside Midway Cos.’ Nearly-Finished Luxury Apartment Midrise Avenue Grove Near Levy Park [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Most Houston Millennials Pushing Off Purchasing a Home, Finds Apartment List Study [Houston Public Media]
• North Houston District’s Ideal Flood Projects Include Buying Out Apartment Complexes, Turning Former Residential Areas into Flood Control Basins [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Methodist Prepares To Open Woodlands Hospital [HBJ]
• BB’s Café, Aladdin, Pop & Pan Coming to Resurfaced Surfhouse Strip Center at 34th and Ella in Garden Oaks [The Leader; previously on Swamplot]
• U’Maki Sushi Burrito Opening June 8 in Vintage Marketplace [HBJ]
• Drone Video Shows a Muddy Eleanor Tinsley Park After the Free Press Summer Fest [abc13]
• Federal Government’s Documents on Houston’s Hurricane Vulnerability Are ‘Basically Useless’ [The Texas Tribune]

Photo of the Southwest Freeway: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Residential Construction Activity Picking Up Again in Houston, Finds Report [HBJ ($)]
• Patterson-UTI Energy Leases Additional 11,600 SF of Office Space at Remington Square II [Realty News Report]
• Redevelopment of Bellaire Town Center Now Underway [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Suburban Millennial Population Grew 10.8% in Houston from 2010-2015, Finds Urban Land Institute [The Urban Edge]
• Urban Planner Mary Lou Henry on Houston Development, Density, and Flooding [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• U-Haul Ranks Houston the Top U.S. Destination City for 2016 [Culturemap]
• What Bedroom Wall Colors Might Mean for Home Sales in Houston [HBJ]
• Justin Yu’s Replacement Restaurant Inside Former Oxheart Space To Be Named Theodore Rex [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Bad Weather, Dangerous Conditions Force Free Press Summer Fest Organizers To Cancel Sunday Shows [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of the Luther Hotel: Patrick Feller via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Nitya Capital Acquires 510-Unit City West Apartments in Westchase Area [Realty News Report]
• Construction Underway on $9.4M Tool-Flo Manufacturing HQ in Pearland’s Lower Kirby District [Houston Chronicle]
• Museum of Fine Art, Houston Breaks Ground on New Kinder Building [abc13]
• New Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Tops Out Downtown [HBJ ($)]
• M.D. Anderson Facility Underway in The Woodlands [HBJ ($)]
• Restaurant Supplier Ace Mart Opens Fifth Houston Store [Houston Chronicle]
• Thousands of Bees Swarming Vacant Home in Northwest Houston Subdivision Windsong [abc13]
• According to a Lyft Press Release, Galveston and Katy are Within City Limits [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Hotel ZaZa: Patrick Feller via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Whitestone REIT To Build Additional 6-Story Office and Retail Complex Adjacent to BLVD Place [Realty News Report]
• Half of 550 Home Sites in First Phase of Katy Development Cane Island Either Sold or Under Construction [Houston Chronicle]
• Zoës Kitchen To Double Number of Houston-Area Locations in Next Few Years [Houston Chronicle]
• Restaurateur Ford Fry Rumored To Be Taking Over Bernadine’s and Hunky Dory Space [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Both Locations of Burger Restaurant Jerry Built Homegrown Have Closed [Culturemap]
• Was Super Bowl LI Really Worth $347M to Houston? [Texas Monthly; previously on Swamplot]
• Property Owners’ Suit Against Montrose District Back in State Court [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Only 47% of Houston Residents Live Within a 10-Minute Walk of a Park, Finds the Trust for Public Land Report [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot]
• How Tape, Chalk, Trees, Traffic Cones, and Barrels Temporarily Restructured Live Oak and Dallas Streets [OffCite Blog]
• Houston Designers Join New Season of HGTV’s ‘Brother vs. Brother’ in Galveston [Houston Chronicle ($)]

Photo of the Pearl: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• How Far $1,000-Per-Month Rent Goes in Houston [HBJ ($)]
• The Current Status of Galveston’s Vacation Home Market [HBJ ($)]
• Webber To Break Ground on Renovation, Expansion of Stephen Austin HS [HBJ ($)]
• Economist Ted Jones on the ‘Best Little Downturn Houston’s Ever Had’ [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Tin Metal Homes Still Popular with Homebuyers in Houston [abc13]
• Sports Bar Owned in Part by New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees, Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, Eyeing Houston [HBJ]
• San Francisco Giants Outfielder Hunter Pence Involved in Coffee Shop Coral Sword in the East End [Culturemap]
• Grafitti’s Closes on Union Street, Plans To Reopen in Bigger Location with Better Parking Later This Summer [Eater Houston]
• A Review of the New Levy Park [OffCite Blog; previously on Swamplot]
• Uber Back in Galveston, Lyft Set To Return to Houston Wednesday [abc13; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of Jerry’s Artarama: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• How Much the 2017 Super Bowl Brought to Houston, According to the Super Bowl Organizers [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Metrostudy: How Houston’s Homebuilding Market Stacks Up to Other Texas Cities [HBJ ($)]
• Galleria-Area Le Peep To Relocate to Westheimer [HBJ ($)]
• New Metro Plan Could Clear the Way for More Suburban Bus Service [Houston Public Media]
• Uber and Lyft To Relaunch Services in Austin on Monday [The Texas Tribune; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of CenterPoint Energy Plaza: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Downtown Class A Office Building Vacancy Has Doubled in the Last 3 Years, Finds CBRE [Realty News Report]
• It’s Cheaper To Own a Home Than To Rent in Houston, Finds Trulia [Houston Chronicle]
• Conroe Tops Census Bureau List of Fastest-Growing Texas Cities [The Texas Tribune]
• Renewable Biofuels Inks Lease for Headquarters in Hines’s New Office Building San Felipe Place [Houston Chronicle]
• Patterson-UTI Energy Expands New HQ by Nearly 30% at Remington Square II [Houston Chronicle]
• Los Angeles-Based Sichuan Restaurant Chengdu Taste Has Quietly Opened on Bellaire in Chinatown [Culturemap]
• López Mexican Restaurant Plans To Open Second Houston Location Later This Year in Richmond [HBJ]
• Sneak Peek at a 3-Bedroom Home in Briarmeadow/Tanglewilde To Be Featured on HGTV’s ‘House Hunters’ Tonight [abc13]

Photo of City Hall: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Midtown Property with Beyonce Link, Music World Properties, Sold to BMW Dealer [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• UH, Rice Accelerator Programs Lease Space in New Downtown Office Concept DesignHive [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• A Highlight of Hines’s 609 Main Is the Air-Conditioning System [Houstonia; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Basically Exports the Equivalent to the State of Texas Budget Every Year [Houston Public Media]
• Harris County Lost Affordable Housing Units Between 2000 and 2014, Finds Urban Institute [The Urban Edge; previously on Swamplot]
• In the Urban vs. Suburban Debate, Here’s Where Apartment Renters Live in Houston [HBJ ($)]
• Liquor Superstore Chain Total Wine & More Taking Over Two Goody Goody Locations in Houston [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Study: Texas Cities That Could Lose, Gain the Most Residents Fleeing the Effects of Climate Change [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of the George R. Brown Convention Center: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool