HTX-BAY: Impact 9/17/2025

The SSPEED Center team has plans to build up to a 10,000-acre island in the middle of the bay, titled the Galveston Bay Park Plan, to mitigate the impact of hurricanes and other storms and help protect Houston’s vital petrochemical and shipping industries.

The big picture: Blake Eskew, chief economic consultant with the SSPEED Center team, cautioned that the estimated $7 billion park plan is still speculative.

The local impact: The GBPP would protect the western side of Galveston Bay, particularly the Houston Ship Channel, which has tens of billions of dollars of industrial infrastructure—what Eskew described as the “lion’s share” of the bay’s economic value.

What they're saying: “The Rice University Galveston Bay Park Plan is certainly ambitious," League City Mayor Nick Long said. "We fully support any project that reduces the impact of storm surge and look forward to learning more details in the future.”

The timeline: A May report raised the projected cost from $4.5 billion to $7 billion, accounting for 20% in unforeseen costs and 30% in permitting fees.

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato is slated to open in mid-October in Webster, franchisee Sanaa Atkins said.

What they offer: Tifa Chocolate & Gelato will feature about 24 house-made gelato flavors, including stracciatella, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, cookie butter, pineapple coconut sorbetto, strawberry balsamic, espresso chip and salted caramel, along with rotating seasonal flavors, Atkins said.

The details: The California-based dessert franchise operates about a dozen shops nationwide. The Webster shop marks its first location in the Greater Houston area and the third in Texas.

📍 1065 W. Bay Area Blvd., Ste. 240, Webster

The big picture: The School of Theatre & Dance at the University of Houston announced its 2025-26 season featuring classical adaptations, musical theatre and student-written premieres, according to a Sept. 9 news release. The season will kick off with "The Circadian Project” on Sept. 25 and end with the 10-Minute Play Festival in May.

What they're saying: “Our 2025-26 season celebrates the power of live performance across a wide spectrum,” Sharon Ott, director of the School of Theatre & Dance, said in the release. “From the haunting beauty of ‘Frankenstein’ to the vibrant energy of student choreography and award-winning new plays, this season offers something for every audience.”
 

Harris County commissioners are looking to adopt the fiscal year 2025-26 budget Sept. 18 with various approved pay parity adjustments including the re-negotiated raises for the county’s eight elected constables.

The vote: A motion to increase each elected constable’s salary to $260,000 passed Sept. 9 with a 3-1 vote. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis cast the dissenting vote and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent.

The details: The approved pay raise, county officials said, will be a budget neutral item, with funds coming out of each of the eight constable precinct’s own budget with no additional funding required from the county.

Quote of note: “After months of deep engagement through numerous town halls and hundreds of survey responses, the community told us what mattered most: public safety, public health, infrastructure and disaster readiness,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said in a statement. “I’m proud we delivered a balanced budget that protects core services, without having to ask hardworking women and men to vote on raising their taxes.”