💵 Let’s get after it, Houston. Today’s edition has a big headline, fresh developments across the city, and our Crown Jewel of Houston feature on the 1910 Harris County Courthouse. Start the day with purpose, pick one meaningful task, and attack it with focus and energy.

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In This Edition of Houstonicity:

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Today: 83F | 70F |🌤️| 21% Precipitation | SSE 15 MPH Winds
Friday: 83F | 72F | 🌤️| 24% Precipitation | SSE 17 MPH Winds
Saturday: 84F | 66F |⛈️| 66% Precipitation | SSE 13 MPH Winds
Sunday 75F | 68F |⛈️| 84% Precipitation | ESE 7 MPH Winds
Monday: 81F | 72F |⛈️| 55% Precipitation | SSE 13 MPH Winds

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💰 Houston set a bold goal last year to raise $70 million to help end street homelessness. But after one year, the city’s special fund has brought in about $31 million. Some of the largest contributors are still deciding if they will renew their support, and the $20 million expected from private philanthropy never came through.

City leaders say the funding goal may now need to be reevaluated. About 3,000 people were counted as homeless in Harris County last year, including around 1,200 living on the streets. Still, officials say progress is being made as new shelters, outreach programs, and services move forward to help people find stable housing.

Video: Houston’s Super Hub Housing Facility For Homeless.

🏨 A new Ritz Carlton tower planned for Uptown could change Houston’s skyline and its luxury housing market. Developers say the 45-story tower along Post Oak Boulevard will include a 156-room hotel and 112 high end condominiums. Prices are expected to start around $3 million and climb above $30 million.

If completed as planned, the 605-foot tower could produce a penthouse sale higher than Houston’s current home price record. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the project planned to open in 2029. The development would also mark the only Ritz Carlton hotel located inside the city of Houston.

Watch This Short Video On The Potential Ritz Carlton.

📣 Houston’s improv scene is not just about laughs. It’s helping adults build confidence, life skills, and real friendships through play. Station Theater, Coronation Theater, and Good Friend Theater offer classes and shows nearly any day of the week, with groups that fit all kinds of interests.

People say improv helps them think on their feet, speak up, and feel more like themselves. Some do it for work, some for stress relief, and many for the community.

✈️ One of the busiest runways at Bush Airport is getting a major refresh. Houston Airports has temporarily closed Runway 9/27 for a 90-day project to improve safety and extend the runway’s lifespan. The 10,000-foot runway will be resurfaced and upgraded with new lighting.

Crews will grind about half an inch off the concrete, retexture it, and regroove it to restore friction and drainage, especially in wet weather. The project also adds 380 new LED runway lights to improve pilot visibility. Flights will continue with four other runways open during the work.

The Birth of the Courthouse

⚖️ Courthouse Square has served as the seat of government in Harris County since 1837, when the Eleventh District Court of the Republic of Texas first met under the trees at the site. Several courthouses stood there over the years before voters approved a bond in 1907 to build the current structure.

Construction began in 1909, and the courthouse opened in November 1910. Designed by the Dallas firm Lang & Witchell, it was formally dedicated on March 2, 1911, marking the 105th anniversary of Texas independence.

Check Out This Awesome Video On The Courthouse.

Architecture That Stands Out

🏛️ The Harris County Courthouse is a six-story Classical Revival building that occupies an entire city block near Allen’s Landing in downtown Houston. Its base is made of rough-cut pink Texas granite, while the upper levels are faced with light brown pressed brick.

A prominent dome rises about 200 feet above the ground and is topped with a lantern and copper finial. Inside, visitors find mosaic tile floors, marble walls, ornamental plasterwork, and a rotunda capped by a stained-glass skylight.

Why It Still Matters Today

📜 The courthouse has hosted many important legal proceedings, including the landmark Texaco v. Pennzoil case that produced a $10.53 billion civil award, once the largest in history. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

It was later designated both a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and a State Antiquities Landmark. After a major restoration, the courthouse was rededicated in 2011 and today houses the Texas First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals.

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🍩 Houston’s Shipley Do-Nuts is bringing in new leadership as the company prepares for its next chapter of growth. The nearly 90-year-old doughnut and kolache brand named Matt Kafka as chief operating officer, John Feray as chief financial officer, and Todd Brin as chief development officer.

The changes come as Shipley approaches its 400th location nationwide and continues expanding into new markets. Company leaders say the new executives will help strengthen operations, support franchise owners, and guide the brand as it builds on decades of tradition.

🏢 Houston boutique law firm Yetter Coleman is moving its headquarters to JPMorgan Chase Tower at 600 Travis St. The firm signed a lease for two floors and expects to move later this spring. It will occupy 43,906 square feet, nearly double its current space at 811 Main St.

The move comes during what a partner called a period of “success and growth.” The tower, Houston’s largest office building, completed a $25 million renovation in 2021 that updated the lobby, plaza, and tunnel access, and added tenant spaces like a conference center and a Sky Lounge.

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