Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from March 2-6.
Houston begins 100-day countdown to 2026 FIFA World Cup with infrastructure updates, events and displays
March 3 marked the official start date of the last 100 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Houston, and city leaders have begun to mark the milestone with updates, visual displays and events.
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.
Officials with the display said they encourage residents to join the celebration by posting their photos of the buildings on social media, using #FIFAWorldCup.
Read the full story by Editor Cassandra Jenkins.
Houston city officials to keep original water plants in case of emergency
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 2 Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee Meeting, the public works department gave an update on the EWPP enhancement project, which is expected to be reconstructed and rehabilitated.
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 for emergencies.
Learn all about it with Reporter Ariel Worthy.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences to break ground in Post Oak as the brand’s first colocated property in Houston
The luxury brand Ritz-Carlton is returning to Houston with a 45-story skyscraper featuring 150 guest rooms and 112 residences available for ownership at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences.
Located on Post Oak Boulevard near The Galleria, the luxury property will include restaurants and a lobby bar where guests and residents can dine; however, hotel guests will not be able to access the private residences or residential amenities, representatives said.
The full-service hotel is being developed by Deiso Moss and Cleary Interests, with sales and marketing being led by Redeavor Group.
Dig into the details with Reporter Roo Moody.
Groundbreaking held for new medical plaza in Shenandoah
A groundbreaking was held for a new medical plaza Feb. 27 in Shenandoah, Visit Shenandoah, the city’s convention and visitor bureau, announced.
The 39,833-square-foot, three-story medical office building is being developed by Pinecroft Realty and built by O’Donnell/Snider Construction, a Houston-based company, an official with O’Donnell/Snider said.
“The development is 100% preleased and owner-occupied and will house a multi-specialty group of healthcare providers, including primary care, nephrology, urology, cardiology, infectious disease and other medical services,” Keagan LeBlanc, director of real estate development for Pinecroft Realty, said.
Get the full story with Reporter Angela Bonilla.
Meet the designer turning restaurant concepts into cultural hotspots across Houston
Gin Braverman, the interior designer behind hospitality hotspots such as Haii Keii, Eunice, Jūn, Goode Company, ChòpnBlok and Raven Tower, said part of her success comes from navigating the chaos in creativity.
Braverman started her own interior design firm nearly 15 years ago and, since then, has racked up a list of accolades, including being shortlisted for the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the colour category for her recent project Haii Keii.
But for Braverman, recognition and awards don’t measure success.
“If I love a project, I love a project,” she said. “If it wins an award, cool, but for me personally, I don’t need to enter it into an award competition to know it’s a good project.”