- 10302 Metronome Dr. [HAR]
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- Statewide Drought Death Toll: Up to 500 Million Trees [Houston Chronicle]
- County Reconsidering Burn Ban Again Today [Cypress Creek Mirror]
- Mortgage Disaster Creating New Jobs for Paper Pushers [Click2Houston]
- West U Removing 8 Elementary School Oaks along University, Auden [West University Examiner]
- BBVA Compass Plaza Construction Cam [EarthCam via Prime Property]
Photo of Old Harris County Courthouse dome: Joel Salazar [license]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: YES, A RING ROAD EVEN FURTHER OUT THAN THE GRAND PARKWAY “I hate to be the one to break the news, but the next outer loop beyond Grand Parkway is already being planned. If you look at the land plan for Cross Creek Ranch, there’s a big right of way built into the western portion of the development. It is right close to the proposed terminus of the Westpark Toll Road and roughly aligns with FM 2855 to the north and Spur 10 to the south. Some of the economic development corporations and chambers of commerce out there have even begun tracing its route on their planning maps.” [TheNiche, commenting on The Swamplot Award for Special Achievement in Sprawl: The Official 2011 Ballot]
The local architecture firm responsible for designing the city’s new permitting center on Washington Ave (which is currently doing well in the voting for one of this year’s Swamplot Awards) and the San Antonio firm behind the recent Buffalo Speedway and Montrose H-E-B Markets will team up to design the 85,000-sq.-ft. Midtown building for the new Independent Arts Collaborative at 3400 Main St. between Holman and Francis St., the organization announced today. Earlier, Studio Red and Lake Flato Architects had been listed separately as finalists for the commission on the organization’s website.
The building — shown above in a concept drawing produced by Morris Architects, one of the finalists that did not get the job — will contain shared exhibit and performance space for several local arts groups, as well as rehearsal and workshop areas, classrooms, and offices. Houston’s city council agreed to sell the site — which served as a surface parking lot for the city’s previous permit office — to the brand-new arts organization last summer. Among the organizations listed as probable tenants of the new building: Fotofest, Diverseworks, the Houston Arts Alliance, Musiqa, Catastrophic Theater, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and Main St. Theater.
- Previously on Swamplot: Independent Arts Collaborative Buying Midtown Lot for New Main St. Arts Center
Rendering: Houston-Galveston Area Council
And now, a very special category in the 2011 Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate is open for voting! What makes it so special? Well, the word “special” is in the name of the award, for one thing. It’s our Award for Special Achievement in Sprawl. Are you ready to vote for the winner?
The official nominees in this category — as nominated by Swamplot readers — are listed below. Now’s your chance to vote — which you can do up to 4 times if you follow our rules: once in a comment below, once in an email to Swamplot, once using Twitter, and once by scribbling on the wall of Swamplot’s page on Facebook. That not enough for you? Then recruit your friends to vote, too! But make sure you get all the votes in by the deadline: 5 pm on Tuesday, December 27th.
And now, the official nominees for the Award for Special Achievement in Sprawl:
Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday.
A few addresses to cross off your list:
- Houston Architects’ Smallest Homes: 560 sq. ft. and Smaller [Houston Chronicle]
- Ramps Linking I-10 to Grand Parkway Open in Katy [Covering Katy]
- 60 Protestors Hold Candle-Light Vigil for Century-Old League City Oak at FM 518 and Louisiana Ave. [Galveston County Daily News]
- New Football Facility To Replace South End Zone of Rice Stadium Approved [KHOU]
- UH Students Fear Renovation Could Wipe Away Chicano-Themed Mural [Houston Chronicle]
- Kasmiersky Park on Old Magnolia Road Now Boasts 14,000-sq.-ft. Skate Park, Pavilions, Wheelchair Access [Courier of Montgomery County]
- Galveston Board Puts $87,000 Toward Restoration of Beach Pocket Parks Slammed by Ike [Galveston County Daily News]
- Some Stores Still Go All-Out with Holiday Window Displays [Houston Chronicle]
- Building Codes To Tighten Across Texas [Texas Tribune]
Photo of lawn on Quincannon Ln.: Flickr user perro-viejo [license]
How can you make sure your votes count more than other people’s in the 2011 Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate? Easy: Vote more often. That’s right: You can vote up to 4 times in each category of this year’s awards. Once in a comment to the official ballot post, once in an email to Swamplot, once from Twitter, and once on the wall of Swamplot’s Facebook page. You’ll find more details on how to do each (and how not to have your votes disqualified) here.
Nominations in all 9 categories are now closed; balloting has begun in 5 of them so far: the “No Zoning” Award, Most Notable Recycling Effort, Best Parking Lot Dining Experience, Best Demolition, and Favorite Houston Design Cliché. Did any of your favorites make it to the ballot? Recruit your friends to vote for them. We’ll continue with the remaining categories next week. All votes for all categories must be in by 5 pm on Tuesday, December 27th.
- How To Vote in the 2011 Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate [Swamplot]
- Swamplot Awards Ballots 2011 [Swamplot]
Uh-oh: Looks like there might be a big storm ahead! That would be Category 5 of the Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate: The “No Zoning” Award. What place, person, or effort deserves such an honor? One of the 5 official nominees listed below. You tell us which, with your votes!
You’ve got 4 of them to spend in this category: You can cast one vote in a comment at the bottom of this post, another in an email to Swamplot, another from Twitter, and another by posting on the wall of Swamplot’s Facebook fan page. (All the rules for voting are spelled out here.) If you want to help your favorite candidate win, start a campaign! The voting ends for this and all categories of the 2011 Swampies at 5 pm on Tuesday, December 27th.
The official nominees for the 2011 “No Zoning” Award are . . .
We are now ready to announce the official nominees for the 4th category in this year’s Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate. This year, what was the Houston area’s Most Notable Recycling Effort?
Let your votes in this category be heard — yes, all 4 of them! You’re allowed to vote once in a comment at the bottom of this post, once in an email to our super-top-secret email address, once through Twitter, and once on the wall of Swamplot’s Facebook fan page. (You can read more about our crazy voting rules here.) If you want to swing the voting toward your favorite candidate, go ahead: Start an email or social-networking campaign. The polls for this and all categories in the 2011 Swampies will close at 5 pm on Tuesday, December 27th.
The official nominees for 2011 Most Notable Recycling Effort are . . .
- Greystone Replacing Post Oak Ln. Apartments with Apartments [Houston Business Journal]
- Hundreds of Roosters Found in Santa Fe Cockfighting Breeding Ground Raid [CultureMap]
- Brazoria County Lifts Burn Ban [Houston Chronicle]
- Driving into Bayou Trending Right Now [CultureMap]
- Road Widening May Sacrifice Century-Old Oak at FM 518 and Louisiana Ave. [Galveston County Daily News]
- Tracking Electric Bills Over a Long Hot Summer [FuelFix]
- Texas Reservoir Levels Hit an All-Time Low Last Month [KUHF]
Photo of Discovery Green: Flickr user perro-viejo [license]
What’s going on at the east side of the Northwest Mall parking lot? a reader wants to know. It sure looks all torn up over something or other. The parking surface outside Macy’s looks freshly cleared, though planting season is at least a few months away.
The third category in the 2011 Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate now has its slate of candidates! What well-paved institution in this fine city deserves the title of Best Parking Lot Dining Experience? Thanks to your contributions, we have a healthy slate of official nominees.
You’re now free to vote in this category — by entering a comment below, by sending Swamplot an email, by Tweeting your choice, or by posting your vote on the wall of Swamplot’s Facebook page. Or by doing all 4! More details about voting rules for this year’s awards are available here.
The nominees for Best Parking Lot Dining Experience are . . .
