Manvel City Council unanimously approved the equipment purchase of $162,000 for a new playground at Heritage Park on Oct. 20.

Heritage Park will be located behind Manvel City Hall on Large Avenue from Palmetto Street to Masters Road, according to city documents.

What you need to know: Commercial playground equipment company GameTime will be the vendor for the new playground. While the subtotal of the playground equipment was nearly $245,000, GameTime provided the city a nearly $100,000 grant, bringing the total cost to about $162,000, according to city documents. 

The details: The playground will have the following features:

• Large shade canopies
• Play patterns, in which there is an exit, like a slide, and an entrance, like a climber, to keep children active
• Deck material for children to grasp

A mixed-use, independent senior living community is expected to break ground in Friendswood in the coming months.

Meanwhile, in Pearland, bioscience company Lonza is planning a renovation at its facility.

The gist: The Bristol, which Friendswood-based Banfield Properties will build out, is set to total nearly 250 units and include a clubhouse, fountains, walking trails, dog parks and a commercial element, Banfield President Brett Banfield said.

Stay tuned: Banfield said he expects ground to break in late November or early December.

What else: Lonza Bioscience in Pearland is prepping for a renovation totaling $950,000, according to project documents filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Houston’s inaugural Fleet Week event honoring U.S. military has been postponed until 2026 due to what city officials called “significant challenges” due to the federal government shutdown, according to an Oct. 22 news release. 

More details: Fleet Week, a celebration of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard, held in various locations across the country, was originally scheduled to be in Houston from Nov. 5-12, which coincided with the Veteran’s Day federal holiday. Fleet Week Houston was to serve as the closing event for the yearlong celebrations of the Navy and Marine Corps' 250th anniversaries.

What to expect: While no new dates have been announced, city officials said they will be working with the Port of Houston and military leadership to announce when the new dates can be confirmed.

“The city of Houston and the Steering Committee want to ensure our inaugural Fleet Week Houston is an outstanding experience that appropriately honors service members and deepens community-military connections,” a statement from city officials reads.

Memorial Hermann Health System announced in a Oct. 23 news release that Guy B. Giesecke will take over as senior vice president and chief executive officer of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

What we know: Formerly the chief executive officer over the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Giesecke will transition to his new role with Memorial Hermann immediately.

Quote of note: “I’m honored to join Children’s Memorial Hermann and contribute to an organization so deeply committed to advancing high-value, patient-centered care,” Giesecke said. “This is an exciting opportunity to help build on a legacy of excellence while supporting the health and well-being of children, families and communities across the region.”