Headlines

• Kingwood To Get Pedestrian-Friendly Town Center with Shops, Apartments, Office Tower [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Residential Construction Up Five Percent in June [Houston Business Journal]
• Texas Median Housing Price Rises to Highest Ever $177,300, Up 10 Percent From a Year Ago [Prime Property]
• Why Not Put Zoning Laws on the Ballot? [Texas Leftist]
• Low-Profile Eclectic Menagerie Park at Texas Pipe & Supply on 288 To Debut Largest Work To Date [Houstonia Magazine]
• Slideshow: The Best Public Art in Houston [Houstonia Magazine]

Photo of the former Houston Pavilions: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Congressman Ted Poe’s Facebook Poll Finds 604 for Richmond Rail, 304 Against [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Fourth Houston-Area Sprouts Opening at Westheimer, South Kirkwood on August 7 [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
• Kroger Confirms on Facebook It’s Closing Sugar Land Location at Highway 6, Settlers Way [HAIF]
• City Council Approves Plan To Build Amphitheater, Pavilion at Eleanor Tinsley Park [Click2Houston]
• Rising Sea Levels Will Put Galveston 25 Percent Underwater, Says Researcher [Houston Chronicle]
• Downtown To Enter Next Year Greatest Period of Simultaneous Construction Activity Since the Late 1970s [Texas Leftist]
• ‘Beginning of a Nightmare’ as Rasberry Crazy Ants Swarm Conroe, The Woodlands, Montgomery Communities [Click2Houston]
• Houston Ranks Third on List of ‘Aspirational Cities,’ Behind Austin, New Orleans [The Daily Beast via Culturemap]
• Texas Ranked Last on Green State List Thanks to Air Quality, CO2 Emissions [Fuel Fix via Houston Tomorrow]
• City Hall To Start Offering Information in Five Languages with the Greatest Need [Click2Houston]
• Entrepreneurial Workshops Illustrate Growth of Houston’s Startup Scene [Xconomy]
• Yes, That’s an Art Car in the Lobby of the New BBVA Compass Plaza on Post Oak [Culturemap]

Photo of Texas and Capitol: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• $950M Greenway Plaza Deal Will Be One of Biggest in Houston History [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Vacant Brookhollow Central Office Building Near the Loop and 290 Completes $11M Renovation [Prime Property]
• Chef Bradley Ogden’s Houston Debut To Be Upscale Pub Concept in Gateway Memorial [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Twin Peaks Announces First 2-Story ‘Mega Peaks’ North of The Woodlands in Shenandoah [Culturemap]
• Texas General Land Office Releasing $21M for Non-Housing Projects in Galveston [abc13]
• Construction of First Section of 249 Tollway Set To Begin in September [The Spring Observer]
• Numbers Owner Robert Burtenshaw, Who Changed Landscape of Houston Nightlife, Is Dead [Rocks Off]
• Are Dallas and Houston Really Just the Same City? [FrontBurner]
• Curbed Now Hiring Editors in Austin and Dallas, Houston Likely To Follow [Eater Houston]

Photo of the University of Houston’s football stadium: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Former Astros Pitcher Shane Reynolds Selling Sugar Land Home for $4.95M [Houston Chronicle]
• Property Tax Rates in The Woodlands Drop for Fourth Year in a Row [abc13]
• How the Exploding Housing Market in Houston is Complicating Matters for Buyers and Sellers [Hair Balls]
• Congressman Ted Poe Soliciting Opinions on Richmond Avenue Light Rail Funding on Facebook [Facebook]
• Houston Airport System Getting Rid of Damaged, Outdated Signs at IAH [KUHF]
• Where Houston Can Improve Cycling, Walking Options By Fixing Missed Connections [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Drivers Don’t Like That License Plate Must Be Recorded in New Seawall Paid Parking Plan [Click2Houston]
• 1970s Texas, As Seen Through the Eyes of EPA Photographers [The Atlantic]

Photo of Reliant Stadium: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Galveston-Born Billionaire Developer George Mitchell is Dead [KHOU]
• George Mitchell Recalled as ‘Giant’ by Energy Industry Leaders [Houston Business Journal]
• Galveston Visitors Dismayed, Confused By New Seawall Parking Fees [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• State Approves Funding To Relight Bridges Over 59 [Montrose District; previously on Swamplot]
• Montgomery County Growth Causing More Wildlife To Be Displaced [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Homeowner in Eminent Domain Battle with Harris County Over House in Flood Plain Near Brays Bayou [abc13]
• Ken Mazzu’s Houston Demolition Paintings on View at the Art Car Museum [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• How the Beer Can House Became a Houston Landmark [NPR]

Photo of Galveston: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Fidelis Realty Partners Buying Meyerland Plaza, Planning Redevelopment [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Liberty County Sells Old Walmart Building at $1M Loss [Cleveland Advocate]
• Mid-Main’s Future Includes 2 Renovated Parks, 453 New Apartments, $14M in New Buildings [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• 133-Unit Alta Westheimer Apartment Complex Under Construction Near Terry Hershey Park [Prime Property]
• Fusion Taco Truck Opens Restaurant Today in Former Les Givral’s Kahve Near Market Square Park [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• US-59 Feeder Road Reconstruction To Last 14 Months [MyFoxHouston]
• Daytrippers Count For More Than Half of Galveston Tourists [Galveston County Daily News ($)]

Photo of the 1200 block of Elder in the First Ward: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Submerged Site of Former Balinese Room Gambling Hall On the Market [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Goya Foods’ New 400,000 SF Brookshire Facility Almost Complete [Houston Business Journal]
• Paid Seawall Parking Begins This Saturday Starting at $1 Per Hour [Houston Chronicle]
• Praising the Art Conservators Who Rushed to Houston, Galveston After Hurricane Ike [Houston Chronicle ($)]

Photo of the Houston Ballet building at 601 Preston: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Panattoni Buys Land To Build 2M SF Industrial Park near Gessner, Beltway 8 [Houston Business Journal]
• Lancaster Hotel’s $10M Renovation To Wrap Up Next Month [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• Fresh Market Opening Second Houston Store Today on Memorial Near Gessner [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
• Work Begins on Next Grand Parkway Segment Between U.S. 59 and U.S. 290 [The Highwayman]
• Archeologists Recovering Artifacts from 200-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered Off Galveston Coast [abc13]
• Stressed Menil Park Live Oak Could Use a Fence To Protect It [Culturemap]
• Brazoria Museum Wants Your Photos of Hurricane Ike [Houston Chronicle]
• Can You Identify the Art in Valerie Sarofim’s Condo? [The Great God Pan Is Dead; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of Galveston: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• First Section of Imperial Sugar Land To Feature 116 Patio Homes, 27 Townhomes Ranging from $300K-$700K [Your Houston News; previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston Home Sales Up 15 Percent; Biggest Gains for West End Beach-Front Property, Neighborhoods Behind Seawall [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Driven By Job Growth, Houston Home Construction Up 14 Percent Over This Time Last Year [Prime Property]
• Mr. Peeples Steakhouse To Open Monday with Alligator-Patterned Wallpaper, 2-Story Wine Tower, Purple Everywhere [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Online Parking Reservation System Launches in Houston, Dallas Today [The Highwayman]
• Community Helps Paint Wood Strips for Montrose Blvd. Art Installation ‘Funnel Tunnel’ [Glasstire; previously on Swamplot]

Photo of Astroworld Bridge: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Springwoods Village Town Center Moving Dirt Around [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston Installs Interactive Street Signs in Tourist Areas [KUHF]
• City Ramping Up Program To Calm Neighborhood Traffic with More Speed Bumps [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• As Houston’s Critical Mass Bike Rides Grow, So Do Motorists’ Complaints [KUHF]
• Despite Recent Rains, Most of Southeast Texas in Severe to Extreme Drought [Click2Houston]
• UT Spends $2.7 Million To Create New Program To Study How To Rid Texas of Invasive Species [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Antique Warehouse Owners Find Traces of Galveston’s Prostitution Past in Old Oleander Hotel [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Rice University Gets Latest Public Art Piece with Installation of Six-Ton Sculpture [Glasstire]

Photo of Lay Plaza Park at 1900 White Oak: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• City Council Could Veto $12M State Grant to Help Chevron Build 50-Story Downtown Tower [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Woodland Heights Residents Square Off with Developer of Midrise Apartment Complex About Traffic, Property Values [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Apartment Market the Next Investment Destination for Chinese, Mexican Investors [Prime Property]
• Slideshow: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse’s New Galleria-Area Home [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Salata Opens First Stand-Alone Restaurant in Westchase Featuring Drive-Through Service [Culturemap]
• City Suing the 9600 Bissonnet Block for Profiting from Crime [MyFoxHouston]
• Ordinance Allows Pedicabs in Galveston Once Again [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Comedian Lewis Black Takes Aim at Rick Perry’s Pro-Texas Ads on The Daily Show [KHOU]

Photo of the Williams Tower: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Ellington Airport Spaceport Study, Environental Assessment Approved by City Council [Houston Business Journal]
• City Council Approves Tax Break for Costco To Be Built Outside City Limits Near 1-10 and Grand Pkwy. [abc13]
• Houston Has Busiest Market for Office Building Sales Behind NY, LA [Prime Property]
• Slideshow: Downtown Lancaster Hotel’s $10M Renovation [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Sugar Creek Fiesta Features Red Mango, Caribou Coffee, Slightly New Name for Chain [Prime Property]
• How Much Does It Cost To Live Decently in Houston? [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Fort Worth Man’s Home Mistakenly Demolished When City Sends Crew to Wrong Address [Gawker]

Photo of Chartres and Rusk: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Fresh Market Opens First Texas Store Today in Former Rice Epicurean Spot at W. Holcombe and Kirby, with 3 Others Soon To Follow [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Greenspoint Trying To Revamp Image of Crime, Large Vacancies To Attract New Office Tenants [GlobeSt.com]
• Median Price of Single-Family Houston Home Rose 12.9 Percent to $192K [Prime Property]
• TxDOT Seeks To Reduce Congestion, Enhance Safety at FM 529 and Texas 6 [Houston Chronicle]
• That Traffic Jam Trayvon Martin Verdict Protesters Caused on Hwy. 288 [KHOU; slideshow]

Photo of the Club Quarters Hotel at 710 Fannin: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Texas City’s Playland Park Pitch Expanded To Include Restaurants, 60-Room Hotel [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Parkside Capital Raising Millions To Develop Business Parks in Northwest Houston Along I-10 [Houston Business Journal]
• School Board To Consider 2 Bids for HISD’s Law Enforcement HS Property This Thursday [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Cleveland Cancels Red Light Camera Contract But Keeping Cameras Up In Case Better Terms Are Offered [Cleveland Advocate]
• American Institute of Architects Awards Houston Buildings, Architects [Culturemap]
• Architecture Center of Houston Exhibition To Feature Metro’s Light Rail Station Art [Glasstire]
• Review: Station Museum’s Houston Street Art Show Features ‘Big, Vulgar, Colorful Work’ [Glasstire]
• Walking Tour of Construction Along White Oak Bayou Trail on July 20 [HAIF]

Photo of River Oaks Country Club: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Voted-Down Magnolia Glen Homeless Housing Project in Gulf Fwy. Motel Quietly Resurrected [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Residents Protest Reincarnation of El Chaparral Club as Chela’s in Former SRO Sports Bar Spot in Northwest Mall [The Leader]
• Greenspoint’s Maine-ly Sandwiches Opening Second Location in Former Sugarbaby’s on S. Shepherd [Houstonia Magazine]
• League City Home Sales Up Nearly 17 Percent So Far This Year [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Hitchcock To Consider Drought Plan, Moratorium on RV Parks [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Limo, Town Car App Service Uber Has Sights on Houston, But City Regulations Need to Change First [Houston Business Journal]
• Pros and Cons of Selling a Home Without an Agent [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• New Book Chronicles River Oaks’ Development from Wooded Hinterland to Billionaire Habitat [Culturemap]

Photo: Jackson Myers via Swamplot Flickr Pool