Headlines

• Zillow: Houston Homebuyers Break Even in Just Under 2 Years [Houston Chronicle; report]
• Houston’s Retail Sector Has Shown Little to No Ill Effect from the Energy Downturn, Finds Weitzman Report [Realty News Report]
• The Most Expensive Houston Rental on HomeAway for This Weekend Is $10,000 [Houstonia]
• Downtown Hotels Running on Average $650 a Night for the Super Bowl, Finds Orbitz [HBJ]
• Typical Super Bowl Booking in Houston on Airbnb Is $150 Per Night [Houston Chronicle]
• A Breakdown of the Houston-Dallas Bullet Train’s Economic Impact [HBJ]
• In Texas, Houston Dominates the Most-Congested Roads List [The Urban Edge]
• Drake Opening Pop-Up Houston Strip Club The Ballet for Super Bowl Weekend [Houston Chronicle]
• How the Super Bowl Served as a Peacemaker Between Uber and Houston [AP]
• Was It Really Super Bowl LI That Brought About All These Improvements to Houston’s Landscape? [Houston Public Media]
• Highlights from the Forthcoming ‘Handbook of Houston’ Featuring Historic Bayou City Dwellers and Events [Houstonia]
• Why the NFL’s Super Bowl Economic Impact Studies Are So ‘Blatantly Dishonest’ [Bisnow]
• The Home of Super Bowl 2017 Is Also a Haven for Refugees [SB Nation]
• More Ways To Pretend the Super Bowl Isn’t Happening [Texas Monthly; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of US-59 Bridges: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• David Kline Acquires Mixed-Use Art Square Center in Midtown [Realty News Report; previously on Swamplot]
• Still No Movement on Groundbreaking of Downtown Office Tower 6 Houston Center [Realty News Report; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Marriott Westchase Wraps Up $20M Renovation [HBJ]
• Dining, Entertaining Options on the Rise in Lake Houston Area [Community Impact Newspaper]
• Houston Real Estate Expert: ‘The $200,000 House Is Going To Be Gone’ [HBJ]
• Will Houston Beef Up Its Flood Control Rules? [Houston Chronicle]
• National Construction Boom Exposes Shortage of Skilled Tradesmen, Threatening Homebuilding [Curbed]
• Club Nomadic Receives Necessary Permits for Inspections To Get Certificate of Occupancy by Later Today [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• A Look Inside Super Bowl Live’s Nightly Light Show in Discovery Green [abc13]
• The Best Places To Avoid During Super Bowl Week in Houston [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• ‘Be Someone’ Graffiti Is Now Back to Saying ‘Be Someone’ [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]

Photo: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Experts: Houston Economy and Real Estate Market To See Better Times Ahead [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• In-N-Out Burger Closing on Multiple Sites for Entry into Houston Market [HBJ]
• Club Nomadic Had Not Yet Obtained Certificate of Occupancy 2 Days Before First Scheduled Super Bowl Events [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Hotels Won’t Be 100% Occupied over Super Bowl [Realty News Report]
• Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: Houston Is Ready To Host the Summer Olympics [Houston Chronicle]
• How Many Super Bowl Guests Houston Should Actually Expect [Houston Chronicle]
• Rice Village Construction Blocks Morningside Dr. Restaurants During the Super Bowl [abc13]
• Houston Installs Its First Bike Box, on Holman St. in Midtown [Streetsblog Texas]
• These Are the Greenest Places To Work in Houston [abc13]

Photo of The Square at Memorial City Mall: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Surge Homes Launching Midrise Condo Project The Isabella at Midtown on Main Street [HBJ]
• Dallas-Based Westmount Realty Buys 21-Building Houston Apartment Complex London Park [Houston Chronicle]
• Construction Begins on Third Retail Component in the Katy Green Mixed-Use Development [Houston Chronicle]
• Woodlands Job Growth Slowed Significantly in 2016, Finds The Woodlands Economic Outlook [HBJ]
• Economists: Senators Presented ‘Misleading’ Stats in Bid To Cap Texas Property Taxes [Dallas News]
• Sylvia Casares Closes Original Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen on Westheimer To Focus on Other 2 Locations [Houston Chronicle]
• Torchy’s Tacos Planning To Open 4 More Locations Around Houston This Year [Houston Chronicle]
• A Changing Houston Puts Its Best Face Forward as the Super Bowl Nears [Wall Street Journal ($)]
• How Sprawl, Transit, Lack of Common Spaces Influence Protester Turnout in Houston [The Urban Edge]

Photo of Richmond: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston ‘No Longer a Dirty Word’ Thanks to Cosmopolitan Makeover [Houston Chronicle]
• Downtown Houston’s Dramatic Transformation Since the Last Super Bowl [Houstonia]
• Medistar To Add Medical Office Building at Bay Area Regional Medical Center [Houston Chronicle]
• Bobby Heugel Quietly Opens New Formal Cocktail Bar Tongue-Cut Sparrow Downtown [Houstonia]
• Conveyor-Belt-Sushi Restaurant Kula Revolving Sushi Bar Headed to the Westchase District [Eater Houston]
• Fourth Houston-Area Location of Avalon Diner Planned Near the Energy Corridor [HBJ]
• New Schlotzsky’s Sandwich Shop To Open This Week Near Westlake Marketplace Retail Center [Houston Chronicle]
• Harris County Smokehouse Acquires Katy Land for Site of Third Houston-Area Restaurant [Houston Chronicle]
• Bacon Bros. Public House Opening First Houston Location Next Month in Sugar Land Town Square [HBJ]
• A Warmer January Helped Increase Restaurant Traffic in Houston, Says Planalytics [Houston Chronicle]
• Turner, HUD Clash Over Affordable Housing Policies [Houston Chronicle ($); more here; previously on Swamplot]
• Why Does Houston Seem So Young? [The Urban Edge]
• Inside Lucky Land, a Forbidden Gardens-Inspired Chinese Cultural Theme Park on Airline Drive [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston City Council Approves Trolley Contract [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• The Most Dangerous Intersections in Houston for Drivers [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Midtown’s “Preservons la Creation”: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Slideshow: The 10 Highest-Selling Homes Sold in Houston in 2016, According to HAR [HBJ]
• JLL: Master-Planned Communities Drove Houston Retail Market in 2016 [Houston Public Media]
• Construction Starts in the Houston Area Fell 15% in 2016 to $15.4B [Houston Chronicle]
• Sam’s Club Opens in Valley Ranch Town Center [Houston Chronicle]
• Chris Shepherd’s Newest Concept One Fifth Debuts in Montrose [HBJ]
• Brasserie du Parc Opening Jan. 30 on Northern Lip of Discovery Green at Base of One Park Place [Houston Chronicle]
• Video: TPWD Sinks Old Ship Off Galveston Coast To Create Artificial Reef [abc13]
• Where the Anticipated $350M Generated by the Super Bowl Will Go [KHOU]
• Houston Bcycle Offering Free 1-Hour Rides Leading Up to the Super Bowl [Houstonia]
• The Upcoming Challenges of Fair Housing Efforts in Texas [The Urban Edge; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of Local Foods Downtown: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Bigger-Than-Usual Signs Popping Up Across Houston for the Super Bowl [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Planned Road Closures Ahead of the Super Bowl [Community Impact Newspaper]
• Residents Waiting To See If Club Nomadic Really Goes Away [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• How Houston Wooed Its Way To Hosting Super Bowl LI [Houston Chronicle]
• A Look Back at Houston’s First Super Bowl in 1974 [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Office Market Vacancy To Increase to 20.1% by the End of 2017, Predicts NGKF [Realty News Report]
• 3 Woodlands Mansions Up for Auction in February [HBJ]
• Hughes Landing Restaurant Broken Barrel To Open Feb. 6 [HBJ]
• City Approves State Loan Request To Accelerate Flood Control Projects Along Brays Bayou [City of Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Metro Considering New Bus Service in Northwest Houston Along West Little York Route [Houston Public Media]
• Greater South Post Oak/West Bellfort Coalition Petitioning for Ordinance To Prevent Daytime Sidewalk Sleeping [Houston Public Media]
• Houston Suburb Porter Among Leaders in Inbound U-Haul Moves in 2016 [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• The Houston Winners in ULI’s Development of Distinction Awards [Realty News Report]
• Texas Ranks No. 10 in the Country for LEED Green Building Space in 2016 [Houston Chronicle]
• Discovery Green To Open Temporary Outdoor Roller Rink in March [abc13]

Photo of Brays Bayou: Jan Buchholtz via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• New Listings Going as Much as $30,000 a Night for Houston’s Super Bowl Rental Market [HBJ]
• Four Seasons Wrapping Up Major Renovations Ahead of the Super Bowl [Click2Houston]
• The Super Bowl Returns to a Transformed Houston [New York Times]
• Houston at Super Bowl 2004 vs. Houston at Super Bowl 2017 [Click2Houston]
• Street Artist Sebastien “Mr. D” Boileau Gives His 5-Story ‘Preservons la Creation’ Mural in Midtown a Super Bowl Makeover [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Among First Cities for Wal-Mart’s New Car-Buying Program [HBJ]
• Why Parkway Is Betting on Co-Working Space in Houston [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• New Houston Home Market Facing ‘Speed Bumps’ Before Possible Expansion in 2018 [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Spring Branch Central the ‘Hottest’ Neighborhood in Metro Houston for Real Estate This Year, Predicts Redfin [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Permitting Center Overhauling Website to Offer All Services Online [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Kinder Institute Rolling Out New Houston Urban Data Platform [The Urban Edge]

Photo of Greenway Plaza: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• NextDecade Leases 1,000 Acres at Shoal Point in Texas City To Build Natural Gas Facility [Realty News Report]
• Hanover Rice Village Apartment Complex Valued at $91M [Realty News Report; previously on Swamplot]
• Gulfton, Park Place Hottest Houston Neighborhoods in 2017, According to Zillow [Culturemap]
• U of H President Renu Khator Appointed to Board at Camden Property Trust [Houston Chronicle]
• 8 New Restaurants Revealed for United’s Terminals C South, E at IAH [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Restaurant Pair Lucky Sushi Bar and Green Ceviche Opening Side-by-Side at 12555 Westheimer Road This Summer [HBJ]
• By the End of 2017, Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants Looks To Have 30 Locations in the Houston Area [Houston Chronicle]
• What if Houston Floods During the Super Bowl? [Houston Press]
• Houston’s Air Quality Improving, but Asthma Disparities Persist [The Urban Edge]
• The Ultimate Guide to Buffalo Bayou Park [Houstonia]
• How Houston Escaped a Huge Oil-Related Recession [Houston Chronicle ($)]

Photo: o texano via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Post Oak Energy Capital Acquires Office Building in Uptown [Houston Chronicle]
• Thompson Hotels Plans To Open in Allen Pwky. Mixed-Use Highrise Development Around 2020 [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• AVERA: It’s Getting Harder To Find Land in Deer Park, Pasadena, and La Porte for Industrial Development [Realty News Report]
• Westchase District Could Support up to 7,000 New Class A Apartment Units [HBJ]
• A First Look at Houston First’s Houston 2200 Plan for Convention Attracing [Bisnow Houston]
• Houston Listings on Airbnb Increased 50% from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1 Ahead of the Super Bowl [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Metro Planning Shuttle Bus Blitz To Carry Super Bowl Visitors [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Inside the A.D. Players’ New Theater Opening in the Galleria Area Next Month [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• The Rice Box Opening First Standalone Location Jan. 28 in the Heights with ‘Blade Runner’-Inspired Design [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Greenway Coffee Company Owners Bringing Coffee Shop Prelude Coffee and Tea to 609 Main St. Lobby Later This Month [Culturemap]
• Houston’s Fourth Pluckers Wing Bar Opening in Cypress Next Year [HBJ]
• The Biggest Reasons Why Houstonians Move: Better Homes, Better Neighborhoods, Better Commutes [The Urban Edge]
• Google Maps Time-Lapse Video Shows How Big Houston Has Gotten Over the Past 30 Years [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of the George R. Brown Convention Center: Jesus Jimenez via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Bank of America’s Skanska Tower Lease Negotiations ‘Not Welcome News’ to Downtown Houston Landlords [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Martin Fein Interests Planning Luxury Apartments Near Lake Houston [HBJ]
• Howard Hughes Corp. To Begin Building Creekside Park Apartments in The Woodlands [HBJ]
• Horizon Homes Joins Lineup of Builders in Valley Ranch Community [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Premium Outlets Adds a Dozen New Retailers and Restaurants [HBJ]
• White Oak Music Hall Injunction Hearing Continues [Click2Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• The Four Seasons’ Lobby Bar Bayou & Bottle from Richard Sandoval Opens Saturday [Houstonia]
• Zipcar Launching in Midtown on Jan. 23 Ahead of the Super Bowl [HBJ]
• ‘Tree of Life’ Mural Wraps Up Around Capitol Tower Parking Garage Downtown as Part of Pre-Super Bowl Spruce-Up [Houston Chronicle]
• Citizen Survey Ranks Crime, Flooding, Potholes at Top of Houston Services Priority Lists [Houston Chronicle]
• Web Cams Offer Real-Time Views of Galveston Bay Water Conditions [Houston Public Media]
• Invasive Freshwater Plant Water Hyacinth Washing Up in Mounds Along Galveston Seawall [abc13]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Aerial Video Captures Severity of January Storms at 610 and North Braeswood [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Meyerland-Based Citizens Group Calling for Creation of a Regional Body To Control Flooding [Houston Public Media]
• Residents Urged To Boil Water after 69th St. Wastewater Treatment Plant Overflows [KHOU]
• Houston Rents Down 3.9% Year-Over-Year in December to $1,052, Finds Axiometrics [Houston Chronicle]
• Hakimee Real Properties Acquires Manufacturing Facility Near Houston Intercontinental Airport [Realty News Report]
• Is Annexation a Feasible Solution for the City of Houston as State Budget Faces Fiscal Constraints? [The Urban Edge]
• Texas Jeweler James Avery Opening New Houston Store Feb. 1 at Westlake Marketplace in the Summerwood Area [Houston Chronicle]
• Rose Gold Cocktail Lounge Takes Over the Former Tarakaan Space in Midtown [Culturemap]
• Mexican Chain Fajita Pete’s To Open New Restaurant in Katy This Month [Houston Chronicle]
• Is Houston the NFL’s Best Super Bowl Host City? [Forbes]

Photo of The Post Oak: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Mitsubishi Caterpillar To Break Ground Soon on Facility in Conroe Industrial Park [Houston Chronicle]
• Motel 6 at Hobby Airport Trades Hands, New Owner To Add Rooms [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Homebuyers Need To Put Down a Little More Than Half of Their Annual Salary for a Down Payment, Finds Zillow [Culturemap]
• Gus Wortham Park Golf Course Slated To Close Friday To Begin First Phase of $14M Renovation [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• Inside KPRC’s New Station, Under Construction in the Parking Lot Behind Its Soon-To-Be Former Station [Mikemcguff.com]
• Kiran’s Slated to Reopen in New Home on Richmond Ave. Today [Houstonia]
• 5 Home Technology and Design Trends in Houston’s Luxury Market [HBJ]
• Flash Flood Warning Issued for Parts of Greater Houston This Morning Amid Heavy Rain [Houston Public Media]
• Houston BBB Warns of Roofing Scams Following Tornado in Harvest Bend Neighborhood [KHOU]

Photo of a Knollwood Village spec house: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Gupta Partners Buys 9-Building Beltway 8 Industrial Park [Houston Chronicle]
• Rockler Woodworking Opening Second Houston Store in NewQuest Properties’ Spring Town Center [Houston Chronicle]
• White Oak Music Hall Books First Post-Restraining-Order Outdoor Lawn Show of 2017 for May 20 [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Westchase District’s Multi-Million-Dollar Plan To Encourage More People to Bike To Work [Houston Public Media]
• This Briarmeadow/Tanglewilde Subdivision Home Will Be Featured on an Upcoming Episode of HGTV’s ‘House Hunters’ [abc13]
• Meyerland Homeowner Says Group Broke onto Property, Drained Pool and Turned It into a Skate Park for the Third Time [abc13]

Photo: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool