Headlines

• Former Harvey Recovery Czar Claims Houston Will Be Better Prepared for Disaster But Process May Take Decades [Houston Public Media]
• Montrose Brunch Favorite Baba Yega Suffers Fire, Expects to Reopen in 2019 [HBJ]
• Proposed Membership-Only Pool Causes Tension in Heights Community over Equal Access [Houston Chronicle]
• Spec’s Sues TABC For “Abusive Regulatory Overreach” Citing Threats, Attempted Extortion [Off the Kuff]
• Drainage Improvements Among Houston Homeowners’ Priorities for Long-Awaited Harvey Funding [Houston Public Media]
• Houston Scientist To Receive Nobel Prize for Breakthrough Discovery in Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment [Houston Chronicle]
• Attorney and Mayoral Candidate Buzbee Offers To Mediate Prop B Pay Parity Issues with City [abc13]
• Three Houston Areas Using Private Well Water on Boil Advisory after Storm Caused Wastewater Spillage [Houston Chronicle]
• New Cypress Brewery Twisted Acre Held Grand Opening over Weekend on Grant Rd. [Houstonia]
• Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Says Russia Interfered in 2016 Election at Rare MD Anderson Appearance [Houston Chronicle]
• Goode Co. Tex-Mex Venture on Katy Fwy. Now Serving Breakfast [Houston Food Finder; previously on Swamplot]
• Missouri City Makes History Electing First Black Woman for Mayor [Houston Chronicle]
• Lake Conroe Temporarily Closed Due to Flooding, Debris [abc13]

Photo of Travis St. at Preston St.: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Katy Chinese Favorite Tiger Noodle House To Open Third Location in Rice Village [Eater; previously on Swamplot]
• Third Ward Church’s Multimillion-Dollar Expansion on Former Frenchy’s Chicken Site Begins in January [HBJ, previously on Swamplot]
• County To Activate Emergency Operations Center Starting This Afternoon for Expected Floods [Houston Public Media]
• Fort Bend Pkwy., Sam Houston Pkwy. Among Most Expensive Toll Roads in the U.S. [Houston Chronicle]
• Harvey Gas Price Gougers Still Settling Cases with Attorney General’s Office [Texas Monthly]
• New York Times Exposé Prompts Southwest Key To Review Its Own Business Practices [HBJ]
• Burns Original BBQ in Acres Homes Pays Tribute to Anthony Bourdain with New Mural [Eater]
• Richmond’s Opportunity Zone Experience Shows Program May Be Less Promising Than Expected [Bisnow]
• Woodlands Board Approves Name, Map, Logo for New Waterway Arts District [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Byrne St., Woodland Heights: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston on Vince McMahon’s XFL Inaugural List for 2020, UH TDECU Stadium Tapped as Venue [HBJ]
• City Hires Lobbying Firm To Fight for Harvey Relief in Upcoming Legislative Session [Houston Public Media]
• Brightwood College Closes All Campuses Nationwide, Including Two in Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• Royal Caribbean in Talks To Build 200K Sq. Ft. Galveston Cruise Terminal in 2021 [HBJ]
• Nancy’s Hustle, Vibrant Among Houston’s 2018 Eater Awards Winners [Eater]
• HCC Will Build New Campus Next to UH Katy Near I-10 and Grand Pkwy. [Covering Katy]
• Houston Dad Develops Stadium Food Delivery App sEATz So Spectators Don’t Miss the Game [Culturemap]
• Texas Electric Grid Bracing for Another Record-Breaking Summer as Backup Power Reserves Are at All-Time Low [Houston Public Media]
• Class-B Multifamily Developer Nitya Capital Starts First Townhome Development off Memorial Heights [HBJ ($)]
• Dallas-Based Investment Firm Buys 6 Multifamily Properties Along Beltway 8 [Realty News Report]
• Growth of Houston Rental Rates Stabilizing After Long Post-Harvey Spike [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Employment Forecast Predicts 71,000 New Jobs in 2019 [Houston Public Media]
• New EaDo Rooftop Bar Sunset Heading to 2119 Dallas St. Will Offer Stunning Skyline Views [Eater]
• Construction Underway of 9-Foot Diameter Water Tunnel Under W. Lake Houston Pkwy. [HKA Texas]
• New York-Based Indie Film Distributor Buys River Oaks Theatre’s Parent Company Landmark [HBJ]
• City May Pre-Release Lake Houston Water Ahead of Heavy Rains Expected Friday [Houston Public Media]

Photo of Main St. METRO Rail: Ruben S. via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Fitzgerald’s Plans Farewell Events To Help It Wind Down After 42 Years of Business [Culturemap]
• Texas Will Use Latest BP Oil Spill Payout To Rehab Coastal Habitat [Houston Public Media]
• Outgoing Harris County Judge Emmett To Begin Teaching at His Alma Mater Rice U. in January [Houston Chronicle]
• Fountain View Cafe Closes for Good [Culturemap]
• Bosscat Kitchen To Open Another Location Near Grand Pkwy. and the Westpark But Not for a Few Years [HBJ ($)]
• HISD Could Face $76M Budget Deficit for the Next School Year [Houston Public Media]
• New Orleans-Based Neyow’s Creole Cafe Set To Open Friday on Richmond Near Hillcroft [Culturemap]
• Fire Damages at Least 20 La Porte Apartments in Delta Heights Complex off S. Brodway at Bayside Dr. [Houston Chronicle]
• The Subtle Artistry of Apple’s Temporary Stores [9to5Mac]
• All the Road Closures Today and Tomorrow for Bush Memorial Service [Houston Public Media]

Photo of the sunset over Houston’s skyline: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• New Post-Harvey Homeowner Assistance Program Application Available [Houston Public Media]
• Montrose, Rice Village, Uptown Park, Midtown Among Houston’s Most Walkable Spots [Houston Chronicle]
• Verizon 5G Experience Lab Opens in Former Texas Junk Warehouse at 215 Welch [Verizon News]
• Chinese Noodle Chain’s First Texas Location Joins Bellaire Food Street Roster [Eater; previously on Swamplot]
• Funding Increase Aids Houston’s Residential Real Estate Tech Platform Boom [HBJ]
• Austin Burger Chain Hopdoddy Opening Clear Lake Location on Bay Area Blvd. [Culturemap]
• Freddie Mac Projects Home Appreciation Rates Could Halve By 2020 [Houston Chronicle]
• Caydon’s 357-Unit Midtown Apartment Tower Hit Highest Point This Week [Bisnow; previously on Swamplot]
• Chicago Developer Working on 97-Acre Industrial Project CityPark Logistics Center in Missouri City [Houston Chronicle]
• Tomball Aiming for Walkability Upgrades in Old Town [Community Impact]

Photo of Buffalo Bayou Park: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Paul Qui’s Aqui Closing with New Focus on Filipino Tapas Concept [Houstonia]
• Houston Police Union Sues City, Firefighter Union over Prop B, Further Stalling Pay Parity [Houston Public Media]
• Trendmaker Homes Breaks Ground on 225-Acre Katy Community Called Lakehouse [HBJ]
• Woodlands Approves Homeland Security Cameras To Thwart Potential Terrorist Activity [Houston Chronicle]
• Harvey Recovery Has Cost $2.7 Billion So Far, Says Legislative Report [Covering Katy]
• Holding Houston Open at Memorial Park Could Close Park for 10 Months Worth of Renovations [Houston Public Media]
• Report: Low Income Households Disproportionately Denied Harvey FEMA Assistance [Texas Housers]
• River Oaks Yoga Studio Atrium Hosts Grand Opening over the Weekend [Chron]
• Mayor Turner Holds George H. W. Bush Memorial at City Hall Today [Houston Public Media]
• Houston Homeowners Among Youngest in the Nation on Average, According to LendingTree [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of River Oaks District: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Jewish Community Plans Rebuild as Arson Unit Continues Synagogue Fire Investigation [Houston Chronicle]
• UH Debuts Renamed Fertitta Center Basketball Facility After $60 Million Upgrade of Hofheinz Pavilion [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston-Based Company Intuitive Machines Tapped To Build NASA Moon Landers [Houston Chronicle]
• Plans Change for Brays Bayou Bridge Construction as Community Requests More Traffic Info [Houston Public Media]
• Salvation Army Houston Shutters Near Northside Shelter, Relocates Services at Others [Houston Chronicle]
• JLL Secures Financing for 1,311-Unit Westchase Storage Facility at 10411 Westheimer [Commercial Property Executive]
• Pearland Pokeworks Sets Grand Opening for Dec. 8 at 2630 Pearland Pkwy. [Eater]
• Treasury Dept. and Federal Reserve System Propose Loosened Regulations To Forego Real Estate Appraisal [Houston Chronicle]
• Photos: Take a Look Inside Finn Hall Before Dec. 3 Opening [HBJ]
• Airbnb Expands in Houston, Aims To Increase Listings Around Texas Medical Center [Houston Public Media]
• Houston’s Affordability is Hurting our Hotel Industry Compared to Other Metro Areas [Bisnow]
• Sugar Land’s University Blvd. Extension Spurs Residential Development [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Montrose St. Bridge over 59: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Last $3 Million of Harvey Relief Fund Goes to 17 Non-Profit Orgs [Houston Public Media]
• Katy-Area Approaching Twice the Amount of Units Existing Apartment Market Can Handle [Community Impact]
• City Transforming Vacant Montrose Lot on Westheimer and Whitney into “Avondale Promenade Park” [HBJ]
• Chicago Peri Peri Chicken Chain Opens First Houston-Area Location in Sugar Land [Eater]
• House of Pies Woodlands Location Sets Early 2019 Opening Date [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Six Month Temporary Housing Extension Granted for Harvey Survivors in Fort Bend and Harris Counties [Covering Katy]
• League City City Council Considers 1,747-Acre Planned Unit Development [Community Impact]
• City Enacts Firefighter Pay Parity as Mayor Turner Argues Measure Violates State Law [Houston Public Media]
• Harvey Recovery Czar Marvin Odum Announces Departure from Role [Houston Chronicle]
• Killen’s Steakhouse To Open New Woodlands Location in Former Bob’s Steak & Chop House Spot [HBJ]
• New Study Reveals Deeper Transit Inequity, Offers Suggestions for Improvement [Houston Public Media]
• Oil and Gas Boom Complicated by Climate Change Increases Tensions Along Texas Coasts [Texas Tribune]

Photo of City Hall: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• New Owner of Greenspoint Hilton and Marriott Plans To Renovate Both of Them [Realty News Report]
• Coworking Offshoot of Life Time Fitness To Open 25,000-SF Space in CityCentre Five Next Year [HBJ ($)]
• Dish Society To Debut Finn Hall Location Downtown Next Week, Heights Central Station Location in January [HBJ ($)]
• Boomtown Coffee Signs Up for Spot in Understory Food Hall Beneath Skanska’s Capital Tower [Culturemap]
• Turner Says HPD Will Add Patrols to 10 HISD Campuses After Fatal Shooting Outside Lamar High School [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• What’s Killing Houston’s Music Festivals? [Houston Press]
• 2 Friendswood Street Redos Down, 6 To Go This Year Thanks to Sales Tax Hike [Houston Chronicle]
• First Houston Wienerschnitzel Opening in Strip Center Across from New Caney Walmart in February, Baytown Location Planned Next Summer [Houston Chronicle]
• Neighbor of Clark Gable’s Demolished Montrose House Wants Houston To Stop Tearing Down Its Historic Structures [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Astrodome Interior Demo, Renovations Expected To Begin in April [KHOU]
• How the Energy Corridor Was Developed and How It Might Survive Future Flooding [Realty News Report]

Photo of downtown skyline: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• New Topographic and Predictive Rainfall Data Shows More People in Harris County Mapped in Floodplains [Houston Public Media]
• Houston-Based Media Tech Startup The Decathlon Looking To Expand with More Local Hires [HBJ]
• Former Director of Planning and Development Patrick Walsh Succumbs to Cancer [Houston Chronicle]
• Tiger Den Chef’s New Chinatown Japanese Comfort Food Spot Ishin Udon Opens Dec. 4th [Culturemap]
• Tex-Mex Icon Irma’s Opens Downtown Location Inside Catalyst Apartment Tower on Texas Ave. [Eater]
• France-Based Industrial Gas Company To Build $150 Million Liquid Hydrogen Plant in Houston [HBJ]
• Post Oak Construction Nears Finalization, but Bus Lane Roadblocks Threaten To Push Final Route 3 Years Past Original Completion Date [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
• Ethically-Sourced International Jeweler Settles into Upper Kirby Location at 3300 Kirby Dr. [Culturemap]
• New Low-Cost Community Dental Clinic Opening In Southwest Houston on Wilcrest Dr. [Houston Public Media]
• Apartment Developer Planning New Midrise Alexan Lynn Park near Weslayan and Alabama [HBJ ($)]

Photo of 609 Main St.: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• METRO Holding More Meetings for Input on Draft Regional Transit Plan [Houston Public Media]
• Pride Wall at Jenni’s Noodle House on E. 20th St. Vandalized [Houston Chronicle]
• Austin Chain Hat Creek Burger Company Announces 3 Houston-Area Locations in 2019 [Culturemap]
• Developer Breaks Ground on 14-Story Apartment Tower Near West Loop on Westcreek After 3 Years of Delays [Houston Chronicle]
• UH-Downtown Debuts City’s First-Ever Gaming Center [Houston Public Media]
• Katy’s Grand Lakes Residents Protest Proposed Cell Tower [Houston Chronicle]
• Tiki-Themed Christmas Cocktails Pop-Up Takes Over Lei Low Through Dec. 30th [Culturemap]
• Federal Report Officially Claims Hurricane Harvey Worsened by Climate Change [Houston Chronicle]
• North Carolina Kitchen Cabinet Company To Open Houston Distribution Center [HBJ]
• NASA’s Robotic Geologist InSight Expected To Touch Down on Mars this Afternoon [abc13]
• Houston’s Small Business Administration Guaranteed $1.1 Billion in Loans in Most Recent Fiscal Year [Houston Chronicle]
• A Dozen Houstonians Made the Forbes 400 List of Richest People in America [HBJ]

Photo of Houston skyline from Bell St.: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• The Salvation Army of Greater Houston and SEARCH Homeless Services Get $5 Million Each from Jeff Bezos Fund [Houston Public Media]
• Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu Announce New Eatery in Former Southern Goods Space on W. 19th [Culturemap]
• Korean Fried Chicken Chain Heading to S. Mason Rd. in Katy [Eater]
• University of Houston Among Business Insider’s List of Most Underrated Universities in US [Houston Chronicle]
• Montrose Axe-Throwing Facility Ratchet Hatchet Now Open on Waugh [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• Houston’s $55 Million Building Permit Increase Attributed to Residential Boom [HBJ]
• New $4 Million Program Funding 20 Houston-Based Legal Fellows To Provide Aid After Harvey [Houston Public Media]
• East Aldine Revitalization Efforts Include Community Center with Fabrication Lab [Houston Chronicle]
• Chinese Oil and Gas Tech Company Building $1 Million Data Center in Galleria Area [HBJ ($)]
• Houston’s Hilton North and Marriott North Acquired by Palm Beach’s Driftwood Hospitality Management [Hotel Management]
• CityCentre Five Adds 25,000-Sq.-Ft. Coworking Space to 2019 Tenant Roster [HBJ]
• Houston Arts Alliance, Galveston Historical Foundation Collaborate To Protect Arts Community from Natural Disasters [Houston Public Media]

Photo of Main St. at Lamar St.: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Judge Delays Fort Bend ISD’s Request to Move the 95 Bodies It Dug Up by Accident [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot]
• Rice University to Build Faculty House That’ll Double as Student Gathering Space [HBJ ($)]
• Former Uchi Chefs Host Sneak-Peek Pop-Ups of Forthcoming New Sushi Restaurant Handies Douzo [Eater]
• Improved Brays Bayou Bridges Aim for Flood Control with Higher, Wider Spans [Houston Public Media]
• International HVAC Manufacturing Company Heading to Greenspoint [Houston Chronicle]
• Beemac Trucking Opens 2 New Houston-Area Terminals To Serve as Southern Headquarters [AP News]
• Full Restoration of Historic Third Ward John Biggers Mural Delayed as Building’s Leaky Roof Takes Precedence [Houston Chronicle]
• Snooze AM Eatery Galleria Location’s Dec. 12th Opening Is Sooner than Expected [Eater]
• Discount Grocer Joe V’s Smart Shop Slated for Dec. 12th Pasadena Opening [Houston Chronicle]
• Spring ISD Unveils Design for 3 Planned 9th Grade Centers [Patch]

Photo of Rice University at The Medical Center: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• New Mid Main Lofts Tenant Craft Beer Bar The Brass Tap Slated for Dec. 3rd Opening [Eater; previously on Swamplot]
• New Location of Blanco Tacos + Tequila Opening Dec. 17th Next to Fig & Olive in the Galleria [Houston Food Finder; previously on Swamplot]
• Apartment Developer Buys 9.2 Acres on Long Point, Ushering Further Spring Branch Changes [Houston Chronicle]
• Comedian and Actor Debuts Westchase Seafood Restaurant in Former Cafe Pita Spot  [Click2Houston]
• Rapper Travis Scott’s Rice Village Pop-Up Shop to Become Permanent Astroworld-Themed Shop in 2019 [XXL]
• New 7K Sq. Ft., 3-Story “Produce Row” Mural on Commerce and Main a Nod to Houston’s History [Culturemap]
• Southern Comfort, Vegetarian Fare with Focus on Local Texas Craft Beers Slated for February 2019 Opening in Vintage Park [Eater]
• 2-story HEB Grocery Store in Bellaire Sold to Undisclosed New Buyer for $17.25 Million [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of Holman St. at Main St.: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Heights Mercantile Developer Planning 200K Sq. Ft. Mixed-Used Space on N. Shepherd Dr. from 6th St. to 7th St. [HBJ ($)]
• Federal Reserve Chairman Tours Affordable Housing Development Site in Historic Fifth Ward [Houston Chronicle]
• Katy Grand Development Among California Ice Cream Shop’s First Texas Locations [Eater]
• Land Tejas Breaks Ground on 12-Acre Texas City Crystal Lagoon, Releases Renderings [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• All Westbound Lanes of 290 from 34th St. to Bingle Closed 9 PM Friday to 5 AM Monday [Houston Press]
• First Residents of Arabella Condo Tower Move in Next Week, 82% of Units Sold [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
• New UH Med School to be Built on Campus to Better Serve Third Ward Community [Houston Chronicle]
• Elaine Turner Fashion Boutique Closes Last Brick and Mortar, Plans to Go Digital [Culturemap]
• The Rustic, Country Singer Pat Green’s Combination Music Venue, Restaurant, and Bar Opens Downtown [HBJ]
• Houston Artist Debuts Instagram-Worthy Shipley’s Mural at 8125 Katy Fwy. [abc13]
• Cooler Brand Rtic Branches out with Flagship Location in Cypress [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of University of Houston.: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool