Headlines

• Galveston Seeks End to Short-Term House Rentals [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Residents Want To Know Where the $6M Infrastructure Improvements Near Washington Heights Walmart Are [MyFoxHouston]
• $1.7M Settlement Reached on Toxic Landfill Site on Pleasure Islet [Houston Chronicle]
• New Plan Allows Businesses To Return to Galveston Sooner after a Hurricane [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• As Hurricane Season Approaches, What One Houston Utility Company Learned from Ike [KUHF]

Photo of missing signage at the old Harold’s in the Heights on 19th St.: Molly Block via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Hines Sells Downtown BG Group Place to Invesco Real Estate [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
• Stream, Wile To Begin Construction on Energy Corridor Campus-Like Mixed-Use Development This Summer [Houston Business Journal]
• Viva Cinema, Showing Movies in English and Spanish, Opening This Friday in PlazAmericas Shopping Center [Click2Houston]
• 437K Visitors Went to Galveston During Memorial Day Weekend, Up 70 Percent from Last Year [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Insurer Settles 1,200 Hurricane Ike Suits for $135M [Texas Tribune]
• Heights Revival Market Owners Annoyed By Repeated Break-Ins [KHOU]
• How Topography, Geography, and History Have Helped Houston Become America’s No. 1 Job Creator [The Atlantic]

Photo of ditch near Addicks Dam: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Metro’s North Line Light Rail Extension Opening Early — Sometime in December [Houston Chronicle]
• Best Western Planned for Galveston’s West End [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Million-Dollar Home Sales Up 25 Percent in Houston [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Free Taxi Rides Part of Metro’s Expanded Park & Ride Program [Culturemap]
• City Resetting 800 Lights in Downtown, Southwest Houston To Help Ease Congestion [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• League City Looking to Decrease Reliance on Cars [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Battleship Texas Repairs Underway, But Battleground Still Needs Additional $18M of Work [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Buffalo Bayou Brewing Tripling Capacity with $250K Expansion [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Alligator Captured at Galveston’s Bermuda Beach [abc13]
• A Very Short Open Letter to Homeowners in the Memorial Villages [The Great God Pan Is Dead]

Photo of the Royalton on Allen Pkwy. near Dunlavy: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Astrodome’s Future Likely To Be Decided at Ballot Box, Says Judge Emmett [KUHF]
• $350 Million Project Would Divert More Drinking Water from Trinity River to Lake Houston [abc13]
• Construction of Osteria Mazzantini in Galleria’s BBVA Compass Plaza Coming Along; Hugo’s Owner Plans Concept There, Too [Houston Business Journal]
• No Rail Service This Weekend Between UHD Station and Downtown Transit Center [abc13]
• Houston Area Saw 106 “Flash” Home Sales Last Month [Prime Property]
• IAH Ranks As Third Most Expensive Airport in U.S. at End of 2012, Finds Report [Houston Business Journal]
• UH Community Design Resource Center Imagines Better Uses for Transit Centers, Utility Easements, Ditches [OffCite]
• DIY Craft Studio and Shop Opens on Main St. in Midtown [Culturemap]
• 1919 Steam Train Donated to Planned Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage Downtown [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 1955 L.A. Home, On the Market for 2 Years, Finally Sells [Curbed L.A.]

Photo of construction work at Savoy Hotel Downtown: Swamplot inbox

• City To Consider Adding $3.8 Million Subsidy for Midtown Arts Center [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Houston Super Bowl Bid Includes Rocket Ship Ride at Discovery Green, Space Needle, Concerts [Culturemap]
• Future of Astrodome Not Connected to Super Bowl, Says Judge Emmett [Culturemap]
• Newest Little Woodrow’s Now Open on Shepherd with Pub Fare, Free Parking [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
• Among Big Cities, Only New York Added More People Than Houston This Year, Finds Latest Census Figures [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Home Builder Wins $1.3M in Architectural Copyright Suit [Houston Chronicle]
• Proposals from UH Architecture Students for HSPVA’s New Downtown Campus on View Starting May 30 [Your Houston News]

Photo of Katy Fwy. and Kirkwood: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Houston Wins Bid for 2017 Super Bowl [Ultimate Texans]
• Does Getting Super Bowl 51 Mean Goodbye to the Astrodome? [The Texican]
• Slideshow: Sneak Peek at ExxonMobil’s New Campus Under Construction [Houston Business Journal]
• Total Value of Houston Building Permits Up 46.6 Percent Over This Time Last Year [Prime Property]
• Former Lakeview Country Club’s Land Back on the Market [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Median Home Price in Houston Hits Record High; Inventory at Lowest Levels Since 1999 [Prime Property]
• Low-Impact Residential Community Kolbe Farms Stands Out in Spring Branch [Prime Property]
• Menil Picasso Tagger Sentenced to 2 Years on Graffiti Charges [Glasstire]

Photo of art installation at Houston Public Library’s Central branch: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Metro Buys 70 New 60-Ft. Long Articulated Buses in Attempt to Increase Ridership [KUHF]
• More Gateway Memorial City Project Details [Houston Business Journal]
• Galveston Vague About Start Date for Seawall Parking [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Oily Substance Spotted on 2.5 Miles of Galveston Beach [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Mayor Parker on Houston Changing from ‘Redneck White City’ to ‘Boomtown’ [Wall Street Journal via Houston Chronicle]
• Houston’s Super Bowl Bid Looks Quite Different From When City Last Hosted the Game in 2004 [KUHF]

Photo of Audi dealership at Greenbriar and 59: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Pearl Hospitality Unveils $81M Renovation Plans for Marriott Opening Downtown Next Spring [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
• City Demolished 39 Nuisance Buildings During Demolition Day on Saturday [abc13]
• Rice Village’s Garden Gate Closing Today After 20 Years To Make Way for Hanover Apartment Complex [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Developers Hope New Viva Cinema Will Speed Up Momentum at PlazAmericas Shopping Center [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Max’s Wine Dive Expanding with Second Location, Opening on Fairview in Montrose This Fall [Eater Houston]
• 13.5-Mile Stretch of 290 HOT Lane Opens Today [Click2Houston]
• Metro Police Issuing Fewer Fare-Jumping Warnings, Citations to Light Rail Riders [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• League City To Refund Magnolia Creek Subdivision Homeowners $1.5M Due To Over-Assessment, Accounting Error [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• HOA, Forrest Lake Townhouse Resident Going To Court Over Flagpole Dispute [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• League City Looks To Desalination for Future Water Needs [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Thieves Stealing Metal Tree Stakes from MacGregor Park [Click2Houston]
• Invasive ‘Crazy Ants’ Slowly Displacing Fire Ants in Southeastern United States [Houston Chronicle]
• American Society of Interior Designers Home Tour Runs Until May 27 in Fort Bend [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Architect Frank Zeni’s Impossible-To-Miss Metal Home in the West End [Houstonia Magazine]
• Galveston’s West End Gets First Landmark Designation [Galveston County Daily News ($)]

Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Vargo’s Restaurant Demolition in Progress To Make Way for Vargo’s Apartments [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• Tennis Express Doubles Size, Moves into Former Syms Store at Westheimer, Walnut Blend [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• The Woodlands, League City, Pearland Named Among Best Suburbs for Young Families [Houston Chronicle]
• Rise in Competition Might Stabilize Property, Casualty Insurance Rates in Houston [Houston Business Journal]
• Gulf Freeway HOV Lanes Open for Weekend Use Starting Tomorrow [The Highwayman]
• 250,000 Bees, 400 Pounds of Honey, 7 Beehives Removed from Westside Home [Click2Houston]
• Houston Needs More Statues of Famous People [The Texican]

Photo of Downtown: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• City Council Approves Plan To Fund Memorial Park Reforestation, Post Oak BRT [abc13; previously on Swamplot]
• Gateway Memorial City Nears Completion, Scheduled To Open This Fall [Houston Business Journal]
• Construction Worker Shortages Make Keeping Up With Demand Difficult [abc13]
• Learn How You Can Preserve the Character of Your Neighborhood at Public Meetings [KUHF]
• East End Losing Millions in Potential Retail Revenue Due To Needed Development, Finds Report [Prime Property]
• Feast Now Closing on June 14, Earlier Than Previously Announced [Eater Houston]
• Upgrades to East End Hike and Bike Trails Underway To Improve Access to Light Rail [abc13]
• Oil Spotted in Sims Bayou near Park Place and Old Galveston Rd. [Houston Chronicle]
• Travel & Leisure Now Calling Houston a Vacation Destination [Houston Chronicle]
• Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Offers New Camo License Plates [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of 1500 Louisiana: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Construction Underway on the Retreat at Vintage Park Apartments [Houston Business Journal]
• 1200 Enclave Pkwy. in Energy Corridor Sold for $48.75M [Houston Business Journal]
• Mayor Says ‘Bilevel Retail,’ With Retail Accessed from Streets and Tunnels, Might Help Downtown Businesses [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Empty Houston Ave. Lot Has 3 Headstones To Keep Vagrants Away [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Slideshow: AIA Houston To Hold First Woodlands Home Tour This Saturday [Houston Business Journal]
• The Problems with The Woodlands Red Light Cameras [Houston Chronicle]
• A Northeast Houston Grow House So Elaborate, It Had Artificial Seasons Built In [Houston Chronicle]
• Wildlife Dispatchers Getting 5 Calls a Day About Alligators in Neighborhoods [Click2Houston]
• More Than 100,000 Houston Residents Could Be Added to City’s Single-Stream Recycling Program This Year [Houston Chronicle]
• Galveston State Park Trails Island’s Best-Kept Secret [Galveston County Daily News ($)]

Photo of the demolition of the Fiesta at Algregg and Studewood: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• Taxpayers Have Spent $7.9M on Astrodome Maintenance Since 2009 [Click2Houston]
• Victorian-Style Hotel, Homes Planned for East of Stewart Beach [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Rental Rates for The Woodlands, Katy Fwy. Office Buildings Peaking [Prime Property]
• Kinder Morgan Investing $106M To Buy Land, Build Dock on Houston Ship Channel [Houston Business Journal]
• El Tiempo Cantina Planned for Webster in Former Big Ben Tavern Spot [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Mattress Mack Doesn’t Want Uptown ‘Mucked Up’ with Bus Lanes [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• How the Leland Woods Community Project Was Reborn [KUHF]
• Report Challenges Effort To Remove Pollutants from Texas City Watch List [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• Houston Region Named Among Least Safe U.S. Metro Areas in Gallup Poll [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Parks Board To Lead Bike Tour Discussing Buffalo Bayou Plans on June 1 [HAIF]
• 8-Ft. Alligator Spotted in Sienna Plantation on Front Yards, Porches [Click2Houston]

Photo of Center St. near Washington Ave: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• East End Shopping Center Tlaquepaque Plaza Evolves with the Times [Houston Chronicle ($); slideshow; previously on Swamplot]
• Clumsy Butcher Ownership Group Bringing 2 New Bars Downtown [Eater Houston]
• $11M Renovation on 12-Story Brookhollow Central I on North Loop Complete [Houston Chronicle ($)]
• League City Red Light Cameras Resulted In 102,000 Citations, $5M in Fees [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Mayor Parker Bemoans ‘Really Goofy Theories’ Surrounding Memorial Park Plan [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Once in Decline, Midtown Population, Development on the Rise [Houston Business Journal ($)]
• Buffalo Bayou Park Plan To Restore Diversity of Landscapes Along Bayou [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Galveston County Cities Prepare for Possible Summer Drought [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• High School Acting Experience Helps Gensler’s Barry Moore Design Buildings [Art Attack]

Photo of District at Washington apartments under construction at T.C. Jester and Schuler: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool

• City Council Approves Permit Extensions for Marquette To Build Hotels, Homes, Golf Course in West End [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
• Texas City Buc-ee’s Won’t Be Biggest, But It’ll Be Pretty Big [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
• Pearl Greenway Apartment Complex Luring Young Professionals with Private Dog Park, Cyber Cafe, Lap Pool [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
• One Week of Washington Ave Parking District Nets $2,500 [The Highwayman; previously on Swamplot]
• New Houston Area Code 346 To Bring 8 Million New Combinations Starting July 1, 2014 [Houston Chronicle]
• Financial Magazine Names Pasadena a ‘City of the Future’ [abc13]
• Line & Lariat Hosting Downtown, Buffalo Bayou Open House on May 15 [Eating Our Words]

Photo of Maryland Manor demolition at 1717 Bissonnet: Joey Zamora

• Slideshow: The 22-Screen Palladium AVX Theater Opening on Grand Parkway in Richmond [Prime Property]
• Galveston’s East Beach to Unveil $1.6M Makeover on Memorial Day, Including New Pavilion, Boardwalk, Stage [Houston Chronicle]
• Ferrari Opening Woodlands Dealership in Waterway Square [Houston Business Journal]
• U.S. 290 HOV Lanes To Open to Solo Drivers for a Fee Starting May 20 [The Highwayman]
• $8M FEMA Grant To Replace Galveston Water Pumping Station Knocked Out by Hurricane Ike [KUHF]
• Reports of Giant African Snails in Houston Unverified [Houston Chronicle]

Photo of Buffalo Bayou Park: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool