HTX-HRM: Impact 9/22/2025

Officials with the Rice Real Estate Company and Lincoln Property Company announced in a news release Sept. 16 plans to launch The Arc, a new research and office facility that will expand Houston's 16-acre Ion District.

What we know: The Ion District is a technology park in Midtown and was established as a joint initiative between Rice University and the city of Houston, according to the business center's website.

About the project: Per the release, The Arc will bring almost 200,000 square feet of "modern, flexible research and development" to the space. The building will share a plaza with The Ion and is intended to support research and enterprise activities.

Stay tuned: Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2026, with completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2028. Pre-leasing is now open.

Officials with Tacos A Go Go, a quirky Mexican cantina restaurant, announced in a news release Sept. 16 that the franchise is expanding with two new locations this winter, with a larger home for its Heights restaurant, 1102 Yale St., and a brand-new Tanglewood location, 2231 S. Voss Road.

In a nutshell: Tacos A Go Go opened its first shop in Midtown almost 20 years ago. The company now has at least seven locations across Houston, including the two new announcements.
The restaurant's menu includes classic tacos, such as ground beef, chicken fajita, and bean and cheese, as well as pastor, carne guisada, and lamb barbacoa. Veggie and seafood tacos are also available.

What's changing: According to the release, both locations will feature expanded space for fresh tortillas and Fajitas A Go Go family packs. The two new restaurants will also be the first companywide to include a full bar program with margaritas, mezcal and Mexican cocktails.

Heights: 1102 Yale St., Houston
Tanglewood: 2231 S. Voss Road, Houston  

Entergy Texas will build two new power plants to support the growing southeast Texas region following approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, officials announced in a Sept. 11 news release.

Two-minute impact: Per the release, the two natural gas power plants will be able to provide "enough reliable electricity capable of powering more than 300,000 homes." Combined, the two power plants will add more than 1,200 megawatts of energy to the southeast Texas power grid, while generating $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating over 9,000 construction jobs.

Officials noted the power plants are expected to allow Entergy Texas to meet new customer demand, increase reliability and lower costs for all customers.

Quote of note: "We've heard directly from our customers and communities about the need for more power to support our rapidly growing region, and these facilities will deliver just that," Entergy Texas CEO Eliecer Viamontes said in a statement. 

The timeline: Both facilities are planned to be in service by mid-2028, per the release.

More than 145 flood mitigation projects in high-flood-risk areas across Harris County will advance with secured local, state and federal funding partnerships after the unanimous approval from Harris County Commissioners as part of a restructured proposal built upon the work completed from the 2018 flood bond. 

Explained: At the Sept. 18 court meeting, Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Christina Petersen addressed commissioners on the updates and debuted the new 2018 flood bond dashboard—a public website where users can find flood project schedules, funding sources, completion dates, prioritization scores, locations and lifecycles for all projects that will be updated quarterly, according to Petersen.

What residents should know: Rising costs, inflation and pandemic construction issues were factors that flood district officials said have challenged how they’re moving forward with certain projects and closing others. The following number of 2018 bond-related IDs or packages have been decided in the following categories, according to HCFCD:

• Active: 75 
• Paused: 26 await future funding
• Closed: 15 determined not feasible

This school year, students who are eligible for reduced-price meals can receive free breakfast and lunch at public schools across Texas.

The overview: During the recent legislative session, state lawmakers approved $19.8 million to cover the cost of reduced-price meals for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

What parents should know: Eligibility for free school meals is determined based on a family’s income through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

Families can contact their school district to fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year. Students who are deemed eligible for reduced-price meals will receive them at no cost through the 2026-27 school year.

What they're saying: “Kids who would have paid a small fee for meals will now receive them at no cost,” said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas. “[School] is where we know so many kids get their meals—it is a guaranteed place for kids to have access to free and nutritional meals.”