Results tagged “houstonbusinessjournal”

>> Two Houston Area Offshore Drilling Companies Win Big: The oil and money are flowing freely for two drilling companies based in Houston. A report in the Houston Business Journal, lists 2007 revenue for mammoth behemoth, Transocean closed out at $3.1 billion. The company also announced a $586 million contract extension with client Anadarko, another Houston company. The HBJ also reports that The Rowan Companies also inked a three year deal. The Rowan deal is valued at $201 million for services provided to Saudi Aramco. The Houston-based company manufactures and operates deep water drilling platforms that operate around the globe.

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The Houston Business Journal picked up this story yesterday, and while we're over-joyed, we can't say that we're all that surprised. We knew those Rice kids were up to something sustainable.

Good morning, Houston. Remember the plans for the Dynamo stadium on the east side of downtown? And remember Metro's plans for two new light rail lines heading out from the east side of downtown? Turns out there's a question about whether the stadium will be in the way of the rail lines — and it's not clear yet whether the proposed stadium will have an effect on the rail alignments. "We are evaluating a number of options. Any proposed solutions will be part of the ongoing process with the FTA. We do not expect this to affect the timetable for construction," Metro spokeswoman Sandra Salazar told the Chronicle. Metro maps — which Salazar said are being revised — show the East End and Southeast rail lines routed along Capitol Avenue, which runs through a site the Chronicle reported that the city and Dynamo are looking to buy for the stadium.

Local tech news in a compact, digital format.

Local tech news in a compact, digital format. The $199 PC Dwight Silverman reviews the Everex/Google $199 PC whose target market includes low-income and first-time PC buyers. The Kids Are Alright The Houston Business Journal covers the emergence of Gen Y's in the modern workforce and the specific needs of this generation of workers. Must Be Jelly Cause Jam Don't Work Like That Have you heard of Jelly? "Jelly is an every-so-often casual coworking...

Good morning, Dynamo fans. Ready to see the Orange in the MLS playoffs again? Well, playoff tickets will go on sale at 10 this morning. Depending on where the Dynamo finish in the standings, the team will play in the Western Conference semifinal match at Robertson Stadium either Oct. 27 or Nov. 3; pick your tickets up at Ticketmaster or the Dynamo's website. >> The scandal effect: TSU's enrollment has fallen to its lowest...

Good morning, Houston. At Houstonist world headquarters, our e-mail boxes are graced almost daily with offers from people who want to move millions of dollars to U.S. bank accounts and allow us to take a huge share of the money just for helping — eh, all in a day. But there's a new e-mail in the same vein floating around now: It comes from someone claiming to be Michelle Kristine Kraiser, the "the Confidential...

So here's something interesting for people who keep track of abandoned downtown buildings: The Houston Business Journal reports that Omni Hotels has plans to revamp the old Sheraton-Lincoln into a luxury suite hotel. The 28-story hotel at 717 Polk Ave. opened in 1962 and closed in 1986; according to the folks at the Houston Architecture Forum, the nearby Hyatt Regency bought the building in the late 1990s for a proposed expansion, but that deal fell...

Earlier this year, we talked about the downtown real estate boom: One Park Place, the apartment tower under construction at the edge of Discovery Green; Houston Pavilions, the retail and office complex being built on Main Street; and a few skyscrapers in the planning stages. Well, the Houston Business Journal reported on one of those proposed new buildings Friday: a 47-story skyscraper being planned by Hines in the 800 block of Main Street. There...

Since Weingarten Realty Investors announced its plans Friday for the redevelopment of part of the River Oaks Shopping Center, Houstonist has gotten several e-mails from readers asking about the future of the other sections of the center. Specifically, we've heard a lot of questions about the fate of the River Oaks Theatre because of media reports including an article in the Houston Business Journal headlined "Theater safe as Weingarten plans $15M redevelopment at River Oaks Shopping Center." The article reads, in part:

Remember the 37-story apartment tower announced last May for a block overlooking Discovery Green? KHOU reports that foundation work began this weekend, when about 800 cement trucks dumped their contents into the big hole at the corner of Austin at Lamar. And downtown observers are all atwitter: "I think that Houston will see a lot more residential development downtown. I think this is a lead project for many to come," said architect Jeffrey Ryan...

Photo: Flicker user 70sCHILD

Each year around this time, a report comes out that makes us guys feel like losers when trying to compete with the jerk in the traditional holiday classic “Twelve Days of Christmas.” This year, the Houston Business Journal reports that his never-ending love for his sweetheart will put him back $18,920 – a 3.1 percent increase over last year. It seems the largest increase this year comes from the tree he decides to put the...

A reader tipped us (thanks) to a Houston Business Journal report that Eatzi's is closing its Houston location at 6 PM today. The Post Oak business was a favorite Galleria area lunch destination as well as offering a full fare of take-out options for dinner, which we pawned off as our own on many occasions. The Dallas-based company has not commented on the closing, nor does their web site offer insight on the matter. However,...

Despite protests from a handful of Rice Village residents and tenants, City Council voted yesterday to move forward with abandonment of the 2400 block of Bolsover Street in the Village to make way for a multistory retail/residential development. Construction could begin in the spring on the project, which would include about 100,000 square feet of retail space and between 230 and 250 condo units costing a half-million dollars apiece.

During a campaign stop in Houston yesterday, Gov. Rick Perry announced his plan for fighting crime in Houston: a $10 million effort to coordinate law enforcement efforts among more than 100 agencies in Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties. The joint operations and intelligence center will put more police officers on the streets, improve local agencies' technology and better link state and local intelligence. "We will not stand idly by as our innocent citizens...

Sonic, America’s Favorite Drive-In, goes Dine-In or Out in a first of it’s kind restaurant located in the parking garage at the University of Houston (located at Calhoun and University). According to the Houston Business Journal , the new 1950’s style diner will not only be open to the general public, parking is free for up to thirty minutes for patrons. For anyone who's ever tried to park at UH, you know how important...

If you're in the habit of sneaking through red lights, enjoy your lawless ways while you can: The installation of Houston's first 10 red-light cameras is almost finished, and the system is expected to go live Sept. 1. The cameras are located at Milam and Elgin, Brazos and Elgin, Pease at La Branch and Travis at Webster in Midtown; Richmond at Dunvale, Richmond at Hillcroft, Bellaire at Wilcrest and Harwin at Hillcroft on the southwest...

Even though the support continues to grow for the preservation of the River Oaks Shopping Center and Theater, many questions remained unanswered, and Weingarten has continued to keep their reticence. Rumors and some evidence throw a mix of names into the equation: Hermes Architects for the northwestern curved section, Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects for the highrise, and Barnes and Noble for an anchor. While concerned patrons, shareholders, and members of the community continue to...

So things are looking pretty good for the local real estate market: Last month, the average single-family home price in Houston topped $200,000 for the first time. The average price for a single-family house in May was $204,005, up 8.2 percent over last year's average, the Houston Association of Realtors reports. Meanwhile, the median home price in Houston also reached a record $152,000. (In case you're wondering, yes, that is much less than the national...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen: Three months ago, local Krispy Kreme stores closed after a legal fight between the chain and its local franchisee, Lone Star Doughnuts; now, Lone Star's attempt to fill the doughnut hole seems to be on its last leg. Lone Star began operating the ex-Krispy Kremes as Jumbles Dough Factory and Coffee Bar locations March 8, a move the company said would be a "fresh start" for the franchise. But...

Mayor Bill White proposed a $1.8 billion city general fund budget for fiscal year 2007 to City Council yesterday, more than half of which is earmarked for public safety. Among the items are two extra police academy classes and payraises for firefighters, aimed squarely at problems in those departments, as well as more money for public health and libraries. The general fund proposal is 6.6 percent higher than last year's; White said revenue from property and sales taxes would cover the increase. "The city is in sound financial condition because of the reforms and discipline implemented over the last two and one-half years," he told councilmembers.

Well, it didn't take long for the rumored apartment buildings to start popping up around the new downtown park — there was news this weekend of one of them, a 37-story tower under development by The Finger Companies. The building, called the Park Tower, will be built on the block bounded by McKinney, Austin, Lamar and La Branch, with the park site on its east side and Houston Center on the west. The $100...

Need proof that throwing a ball really fast and really well can get you anything you darn well please (even from countries where baseball matters not at all)? The KHOU newsblog is reporting the planned presence in our fair city of Real Live Royalty: the Earl of Sandwich is coming to town at Clemens' request to christen a new sandwich shop. The restaurant, at 1930 Highway 6 South, is the first Houston location of the...

Have you driven through Uptown lately and thought to yourself, "What this area really needs is another high-rise condo?" Well, get ready to be happy: Turnberry, the developer of fancy residential projects across the country, has its eye on the Galleria area. The Houston Business Journal reports Turnberry has leased an office that overlooks the site of its proposed condo tower between Hidalgo and West Alabama, just west of the Water Wall (we assume...

Come April, you might want to start saving your pennies. The City of Houston decided to increase the cost of water and sewer services by 3.6 percent. The new rates go into effect for residential and commercial property owners April 1, with the new prices showing up on May's bills, according to the Houston Business Journal. Houstonist doesn't know what the current rate is after it was raised 3.5 percent last year. According to...

Houstonist has long had a theory that, if you drive far enough from downtown Houston, everything starts repeating itself — basically, you drive far enough and find the same things you find inside the Loop, minus the character. There's more evidence of that this week with the news that Taco Milagro, patio central for young inner-Loop professionals, is coming to The Woodlands.

Gables Residential has announced a mega-residential/commercial project near Westheimer and Kirby, on the site of the old River Oaks Tennis center. Speculation is that the project could have more than 700 apartment units, according to the Houston Business Journal — a drop in the bucket compared to the 12,000 to 15,000 new apartments built in the city each year.