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Upcoming Traffic Safety Improvement Project for Bunker Hill Rd and I-10 Frontage Rd U-Turn

 

Beginning April 28, the Memorial Management District will commence safety improvements at the U-turn area of Bunker Hill Road and the I-10 Frontage Road.
The construction work will be conducted Monday through Friday between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM. The project will be completed in two phases and is expected to take approximately 45 days to finish.

The project involves expanding and installing various road and pedestrian features along the IH-10 Frontage Road. This includes adding pavement, sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, pavers, driveways, curbs, medians, pavement markings, and pedestrian traffic signals.

Welcome Saige & Rose to the Memorial District. They recently opened up their boutique in Memorial City Mall, and everything in their shop is super cute and fun. The latest trends seen on Instagram models can be seen in their shop but at a much lower price.

Located in the Target wing, pop in to shop their latest styles for the summer or stock up on the must have pieces for the upcoming fall trends. Saige & Rose carries everything from fashionable jewelry, rockstud sandals and heels, purses and accessories to fun summer dresses, casual yet dressy blouses and beautiful jumpsuits and rompers.

You will find cute, affordable additions to your wardrobe here. They are perfect for the fashionista looking for outfits for an evening out on the town or Sunday brunch with friends.

Photos courtesy Saige & Rose on Facebook.

If you have a sweet tooth, July just might be the month for you. There are several special days for people who love sweet treats, and here in the Memorial District, we have all the best restaurants and shops to find delicious goodies. Let’s look at some of the best days devoted to satisfying your cravings.

 

July 9: National Sugar Cookie Day

 

Visit Tiff’s Treats at Sorella Court in the Memorial District for delicious sugar cookies as well as many other types of delicious cookies. The Great American Cookie at Memorial City also has the sugar cookies you want most.

 

 

July 15: National Gummy Worm Day

 

The thought of gummy worms might evoke memories of childhood and cinema candy. Here in the Memorial District, you can find them at a place like CVS on Gessner Road but also as a treat to go along with a fun summer blockbuster at Cinemark Memorial City or Studio Movie Grille CITYCENTRE.

 

July 17: National Peach Ice Cream Day

 

Head over to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams CITYCENTRE to find a delicious peach ice cream among the other creative flavors at this specialty ice cream shop new to the Memorial District.

 

 

July 18: National Ice Cream Day

 

If peach ice cream is not your thing, you are still in luck. On July 18, you can pick whatever flavor you want for National Ice Cream Day. Visit Jeni’s, or head over to Marble Slab Creamery Village Plaza or Marble Slab Creamery Memorial City to find tasty ice cream treats. Plus, at Marble Slab, they are offering $5 off ice cream kits through the month of July.

 

July 20: National Lollipop Day

 

Want to represent the Lollipop Guild on National Lollipop Day? Pay a visit to Lolli & Pops Memorial City to find tasty lollipops of various shapes and sizes.

 

July 23: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

 

You didn’t think the summertime ice cream party was over, did you? There is still plenty of time to enjoy a chilly vanilla ice cream treat from one of the ice cream shops above. Or simply stop by HEB or Randalls to find a pint of your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream. (You might also want to keep in mind that July 25 is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, so you can jazz up that bowl of ice cream with some hot fudge!)

 

July 28: National Milk Chocolate Day

 

You can find delicious milk chocolates at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Memorial City or stop by Bateel in CITYCENTRE and treat yourself or a friend to gourmet chocolates and dates.

 

https://twitter.com/RockyMtnChocInc/status/844562822746914816

 

 

 

Stop into the Memorial District in July or any time of year to find all of your favorite sweets!

The Memorial District’s newest hotel, Holiday Inn Express, just opened its doors and is already a success. Conveniently located at 10500 Katy Freeway, it has 123 rooms and approximately 2,000 square feet of meeting and pre function space. Amenities include a pool, outside patio with TVs, and a coffee bar.

Alif Maredia, president and owner of PA Hospitality, chose this location based upon its proximity to the Memorial District and all that it has to offer. “We want to be here in this location, and we wanted to go above and beyond with a strong upper mid-scale hotel,” said Maredia. “We have invested in additional luxurious amenities that go above and beyond the standards of Holiday Inn Express to stay on brand with the other premium hotels in the Memorial District.” “Our hotel includes luxury bedding, higher end furnishings, vibrant lighting around the building, and a larger pool area with ambient lighting and a covered patio.”

With quality meeting space, free parking, and internet, the hotel will meet the demands of business travel and accommodate visitors to the area. Business travelers enjoy the hotel surroundings of the many upscale restaurants, shopping, team building activities, and places to socialize after a busy day with clients.

It is already a popular venue for guests attending tournaments at the nearby Baseball USA facility. With reasonable room rates and upscale amenities, the new Holiday Inn Express is a great addition to the Memorial District.

 

CITYCENTRE has welcomed Bateel to their family this holiday season. The sweet shop is home to more than just exotic dates. They offer a wide range of products including balsamic vinegars, sparkling juices & chocolates.

Bateel is world-renowned and has graced Houston by opening up a store front in the Memorial District. If you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, pop into Bateel and try one of their many gourmet dates filled with fruits or caramelized nuts. Bateel also offers single-origin chocolates that come with a variety of fillings and flavors.

 

Looking to give a gift with an exotic twist? Bateel offers a range of customizable luxe gift boxes that can be filled with their signature date jams, honey, dhibs (a date syrup), chocolates & date-filled biscuits. This is a gift that will surely satisfy any sweet tooth.

Pop in today to see which date is your new favorite treat.

Fall is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the scenery. Now that scenery also includes beautiful works of art through the UP Art Studio's project called Mini Murals. This project transforms utility cabinets in the area with elaborate murals.

These beautifully painted murals brighten the city with public artwork and discourages graffiti vandalism. The muralists who worked on the Memorial District paintings included Dan Dollohan, Joy Matheson, and Pilot.

It is worth noting that you can find the murals by taking a day-trip drive or bike trip through the district; perfect for social distancing.

The murals can be found at:

  • Barryknoll at Bunker Hill
  • Bunker Hill at Gaylord
  • Bunker Hill at entrance near HEB
  • Gessner at Mathewson Lane
  • Gessner across from Target
  • Gessner at the Memorial City Mall entrance
  • Gessner at Kingsride
  • Gessner at Barryknoll
  • Barryknoll at Memorial City Way
  • Kimberley Lane at Town & Country Blvd.
  • Queensbury at Town & Country Blvd.
  • Memorial Drive at West Bough Dr.
  • Lumpkin Rd at Westview Dr.

In the mood for delicious Asian flavors? Visit CITYCENTRE’s new upscale Thai food eatery, Yi Peng, when it opens in Fall 2020.
Executive Chefs Jett and Jira Hurapan, the dynamic duo behind Yi Peng, opened the restaurant and named it after the annual autumn lantern festival in Chiang Mai. During the festival, which celebrates the full moon, thousands of sky lanterns fill the city sky.
For that reason, the Yi Peng team decked out the establishment with ornate lanterns. Furthermore, walls have beautiful murals that reflect the look and feel of a dining experience in northern Thailand.

https://www.facebook.com/YiPengThaiDining/posts/330689108359972

The menu features a stunning array of Thai foods and specialty cocktails. Aspects of the menu focus on dishes specific to the northern region of Thailand, which means you can expect delicious herbs and spices.
For example, the restaurant’s Operations Manager, Liz Jiratantasin, said signature dishes include:
• Homemade Sai Ua — Chiang Mai grilled spicy sausage with aromatic roasted chili spices and lemongrass
• Handcraft Chor Muang — Gluten-free Royal Thai steamed dumpling with roasted garlic oil, fresh Thai chili, and herb wrap in green leaf lettuce
• Kang Hung Lay — Northern-style braised curry beef short ribs with Thai spices and Chinese broccoli
Plus, the fabulous experience does not end with great food. Yi Peng also plans to offer Thai food cooking classes.
The restaurant encompasses a 3,500-square-foot space on Sorella Court, and the main dining room seats 60 people. Additionally, the patio seats 28, the private dining area on the mezzanine level seats 24, and the chef’s table seats 8. The roomy seating and outdoor space are helpful for socially distanced meals.
“We practice the highest standard of cleanliness and sanitization,” Jiratantasin told us. “We ensure daily wellness checks for staff members. We wear face masks, and we have hand-sanitizer stations and contactless pickup.”
Visit Yi Peng at CITYCENTRE for a luxury Thai food experience.
Jiratantasin thinks people will love Yi Peng’s chef-driven concept and said the restaurant uses high-quality ingredients and exotic herbs from Thailand.
“We hope people visit and enjoy the highlights of Thai culture Yi Peng offers,” Jiratantasin said. Yi Peng is among the many exciting developments and restaurant openings and reopenings right here in the Memorial District.
Yi Peng Thai Dining
798 Sorella Ct Ste. 125
Houston, TX 77024

Mind if we taco 'bout dinner? Then let's welcome Torchy's Tacos. The Austin-based company opened its latest Houston location at 1035 Gessner as part of the Memorial City development, and it is the company's eighteenth location in H-town.

Torchy's Tacos brings a menu jam-packed with flavorful Tex-Mex winners. For example, you'll find the Tailgater tacos that include Panko-fried chicken and bacon, and you'll see the Brushfire that has Jamaican jerk chicken with grilled jalapenos and mango.

There is always a Taco of the Month, and fan favorites like burrito bowls, breakfast tacos, chips and queso, and specialty sides and sweets are available. The restaurant's famous drinks and margaritas will also be available.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEuOk6XF7P1/

"The Houston community has embraced Torchy's since we opened our first restaurant in the city in 2011," said G.J. Hart, CEO of Torchy's Tacos. "Outside of our hometown of Austin, we have the most restaurants in Houston for a reason: we love its foodie culture and we love its residents."

Torchy's Tacos Memorial City will follow health and safety regulations, including but not limited to having wellness checks for staff, wearing face masks, socially distancing, and frequently sanitizing the space.

The restaurant is at Gessner and the Katy Freeway area, which includes Kirby's Ice House Memorial. When the concept restaurant Mia's Table opens in the area, it will share a 7,000-square-foot courtyard with Torchy's Tacos. The spacious 4,500-foot Tex-Mex eatery also has a full bar and patio.

https://www.facebook.com/TorchysMemorialCity/posts/685275185436609

Torchy's Tacos Memorial City
832-304-2700
1035 Gessner Rd., Suite A
Houston, TX 77055
https://torchystacos.com

 

Jason Johnson, President of MetroNational, the firm behind the development of Memorial City, was interviewed by Jeff Jeffrey of the Houston Business Journal. Johnson discussed the demolition of the Sears location at Memorial City, and he explained aspects of the redevelopment project that are on hold due to COVID-19 concerns.

"We're still in the planning phase of that project. We're taking a massive look at what we need in terms of the retail environment. That's one of the next 20 things we're going to be changing with the mall to make it more of a mixed-use, open space environment. It's going to take a lot of work and needs to get approval from a lot of people, including the anchor tenants. No one likes to sit on real estate, but we're going to take our time with that one to make sure we get it right."

He noted that the 25-story multifamily tower, The McKinley, is on schedule. The sales office should be open by the second quarter of 2021.

Johnson told The Houston Business Journal that the McKinley's office component is on hold while the firm's specialists examine how office environments might look in the future. For example, the specialists want to see the frequency with which people work from the office each week. He also expressed confidence about building an office space in Houston.

"I'm really pleased with what Texas is doing, in general, and what Houston, in particular, is doing with bringing new companies to town. We have always felt that by being a dense urban core that is outside of the (central business district), we benefit from having all of the restaurants and retail and things people want with a much shorter commute . . . Because of our location, we benefit from being in an area that is in close proximity to everything employees might need to do during the day, whether it's shopping or getting food or obtaining medical treatment."

According to Johnson, the redevelopment of Memorial City could occupy MetroNational's thoughts for the next ten years. The firm is taking the time to hear what tenants want and what retailers across the country do. The firm has moved quickly with choices about using technology to simplify deliveries and meetings. Still, it will take a steady approach to its overall growth to make sure its decisions are good ones.

Jason Johnson is the son of MetroNational's Chairman and CEO, Roy Johnson. He is also the grandson of the company's founder, Joseph Johnson.

Houston Business Journal's interview also appears on MetroNational's website.

Worried about driving during heavy rain and flooding conditions? Houston TranStar has an app to help. The Roadway Flooding Warning System app shows real-time traffic data and measures roadway flooding risks during heavy rainfall.

With hurricane season heating up, Houston TranStar urges people to download and use the new app. The project began in response to Hurricane Harvey, and the data expands weekly.

In 2019, the app showed 76 sensors. Today, it gets real-time data from almost 300 weather sensors that alert travelers to roadway flooding risks in Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Brazoria, and Galveston counties.

Houston TranStar Roadway Flooding Warning System's sensor locations

Dinah Massie, Executive Director for Houston TranStar, explained the advantages of developing the app's capabilities.

"Expanding the Roadway Flood Warning System's footprint into counties adjacent to Harris allows us to warn even more people about potentially dangerous roadway flooding," Massie said. "Information collected by this highly accurate technology is overlaid on the TranStar Traffic Map and mobile application. We're warning motorists about flood risk and also helping emergency crews respond more quickly and safely during heavy rainfall."

The application is the result of a collaboration between Houston TranStar, the Harris County Flood Control District, and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The Harris County Flood Control District, the Brazoria Drainage District, the City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, the Galveston Drainage District, Waller County, and the San Jacinto River Authority maintain the sensors, which increase the capacity to monitor water levels for possible local street inundation throughout TranStar's region.

For more information, visit HoustonTranStar.org or download the Mobile App at the Google Play or Apple App store.

The Memorial District is proud to welcome Ben Pisklak to its board of directors. Keen to jump into the role, Ben notes, “Having served on similar boards in the past, I recognize the valuable input that these organizations can bring to bear on relevant issues such as economic development, traffic flow, infrastructure and resident life.”

Pisklak is a founding principal of Slate Real Estate Partners, responsible for all aspects of the company's development, financing, construction and acquisition activities.

Prior to founding Slate Real Estate Partners, he served as the Chief Investment Officer and Executive Vice President for Gables Residential, where he led all aspects of the company's development, construction and acquisition activities.  He also worked as an associate with Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, a Houston based commercial mortgage banking firm; the Hanover Company, a Houston based multifamily development and management company; and was a staff accountant for Ernst & Young, LLC.

A graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting and a MS in in Accounting and Taxation, Ben is a Certified Public Accountant (dormant status).

He lives in Houston with his wife Carrie and three children, Katie, Abby and Connor. In his free time, he is an avid outdoorsman, devotes time to his charitable causes, and is involved with his church.

 

 

If you drive the streets of Houston for any length of time, you are familiar with the frustration of traffic backups at intersections with signal lights flashing red or out completely.  Very soon, those incidents will be greatly reduce in the Memorial Management District when the District installs Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS systems) on all of the District traffic signals.  The UPS systems will keep the lights working in the event of a power outage for up to 6 hours until power can be restored.  This extra level of safety will help motorists during major storm events or power outages.  The District is a major shopping attraction year round, but especially busy during the holiday season, the UPS systems will help ensure traffic does not get snarled by an outage.  In addition, Memorial Hermann-Memorial City Medical Center will better served by this extra level of protection.  Patients and ambulances will benefit by this critical UPS system installation.

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Houston, TX 77024

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Fax: 281-884-3552
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