In an upcoming Jan. 7 meeting, Houston City Council will revisit a decision to use Storm Water Fund dollars for building demolition projects, a proposal that sparked concern from several council members in December.

What's happening: Houston Public Works is seeking City Council approval to use a maximum of $30 million from the city’s Storm Water Fund to tear down dilapidated buildings that pose a risk to local drainage systems, according to Jan. 7 agenda documents. 

The contract authorization would not take money away from other public works projects, such as roadside ditch and storm sewer improvements, HPW officials said during a Jan. 6 Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting. They said demolitions fall under the scope of the fund when dilapidated buildings clog local drainage systems. 

A closer look: HPW Director Randall Macchi told the BFA Committee on Jan. 6 the public works department has historically used money from the fund to demolish dilapidated buildings, but 2026 marks the first year the allocations are reflected in the fund's budget. 

Loft18, a sports bar and grill located near the Houston Heights, announced its immediate closure on social media Jan. 1. 

The gist: Based in Louisiana, the establishment offered golf and multi-sport simulators, including sports such as football, dodgeball and soccer. 

More details: The release stated that challenges such as an increase in crime in the area and rising market costs led to the decision to relaunch at a new location that aligns better with the company’s vision of a family-friendly sports bar.

• 2313 Edwards St., Ste. 200, Houston

Multiple entities involved in the potential expansion of the Ben Taub Hospital into the land currently occupied by Hermann Park have held town halls across Houston to inform residents of the details of the land acquisition.

The final two dates for the remaining town hall meetings are Jan. 7 and Jan. 13.

Dates to know: The Hermann Park Conservancy will host its own town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion, 1500 Hermann Drive, Houston. 

Another town hall will take place at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Drive, Houston, with Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.

Next steps: Harris County Commissioners Court will hold its Chapter 26 public hearing in January, a meeting required before any dedicated parkland can be considered for another public use, according to the Hermann Park Conservancy website. A vote on the proposal is expected in March.

Harris County commissioners will meet Jan. 8 with more than 300 agenda items spanning from county operations and security regarding the upcoming election cycle to possible postponements with the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in the Texas Medical Center.

What you need to know: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth has several items related to overseeing the upcoming March, May and November elections. One item by the county clerk includes establishing an interlocal agreement with the city of Houston Police Department as part of an Election Security Task Force. 

At the polls: Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey seeks a discussion on the county's compliance with Senate Bill 1933, which allows the secretary of state’s office to oversee Harris County elections if an election complaint is filed.

Growing challenges: One of Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis's agenda items calls for the postponement of the Harris Health community engagement report regarding the Ben Taub Hospital expansion, adding another delay with the Texas Medical Center project. Commissioners voted unanimously last October to postpone the Dec. 11 public hearing.