Bellaire City Council discussed a list of amendments regarding the Corridor Mixed Use zoning district during a March 2 City Council meeting. The CMU district runs from North First Street to Chimney Rock Road, adjacent to Bissonnet Street, and is made up of mixed-use developments.

Some context: The recommended amendments were presented by Director of Development Services Travis Tanner and were recommended by the Planning and Zoning Committee.

The discussion: During the meeting, council members debated the specifics of a front height-setback plane and a rear height-setback plane. One amendment the council voted on was to raise the minimum front yard setback from at least 5% of the site depth to 15% of the site depth for properties less than 100 feet. However, the item did not pass and council voted 3-3. 

What happens next: No other proposed amendments were passed, and continued discussions have been postponed to the March 16 meeting.

A new pediatric dental office that focuses on making its office a welcoming place for children has opened in Bellaire.

Who it’s for: Wildflower Pediatric Dentistry opened in November and owner Dr. Lydia Brett said Wildflower PD emphasizes preventative services, including:

• Gentle cleaning
• Fluoride treatments
• Dental sealants
• Comprehensive exams

• 5423 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire

The city of Houston will not decommission the aging East Water Purification Plant in northeast Houston, despite original plans to. 

During the city’s March Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee Meeting, the public works department gave an update on the EWPP enhancement project, which is now expected to be reconstructed.

Some background: Originally, the department had announced plans to decommission Plants 1 and 2 at the site, but after council member Mario Castillo asked if there was any way to use the facilities, HPW Director Randy Macchi announced that the department will not decommission them, but instead keep the plants in case of natural disaster emergencies.

“We do find that there's going to be some value as we go through the rehab efforts there to make sure that in the event of unlikely catastrophes, there's still some extra redundancy and resiliency,” Macchi said.

Funding is expected to cost between $3 billion and $4.4 billion for the entirety of the project.

March 3 marked the official start date of the last 100 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Houston.

What's new: The city has begun to celebrate with visual displays, including the illumination of prominent buildings in Downtown Houston's skyline. City Hall, 1000 Main and the Bank of America Tower will now shine blue, Houston's official FIFA World Cup color, to celebrate the milestone.

In similar news: Aside from visual displays, some entities within Houston are also beginning to prep infrastructure for the arrival of the tournament and the influx of visitors it will bring in June.

CenterPoint Energy officials said in a March 4 news release that the company has begun to perform hazard mitigation inspections of its equipment and field reviews serving event-zone areas, such as NRG Stadium, airports and key hospitality areas.

Looking ahead: As the countdown to the tournament continues, several events and milestones are expected to take place across the city over the next few months.

Texas attracts dozens of company headquarters to the state annually, with at least 314 businesses moving their main office to Texas from other states between 2015-2024, data from the governor’s office shows.

Zooming in: At least 24 companies moved their headquarters to Texas in 2024, with more than half landing in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Two companies relocated from other countries, with data center developer Hive Digital Technologies bringing its home base from Canada to San Antonio and pharmaceutical company IntraBio Inc. moving its headquarters from the United Kingdom to Austin.

How we got here: State officials and experts said Texas’ economic incentives and light regulatory environment are key reasons why companies brought their operations to the state in recent years.

“Texas wants companies to move here, and [company leaders] know that,” Megan Mauro, interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, told Community Impact. “Our legislative policy is really impacted by the voices of employers here.”