Upper Kirby District Street Talk
banner
In This Issue
Upper Kirby Construction Update
Upper Kirby District Center New Tenant Profile
Houston Green Office Challenge
Community Resources
Non -Profit Office Space Available!
lease

Graffiti Problem?
Click here to contact us about graffiti abatement services.

graffiti

Public Right of Way Maintenance Concerns? Click here to let us know
inlet clean up


UK
Upper Kirby District
Join Our Mailing List

January in the Upper Kirby District
Upper Kirby Construction
The Month Ahead
constructionConstruction continues this month on Wakeforest and Kirby Drive, both between Richmond and US 59. Also likely to begin construction early in 2011 is the Buffalo Speedway Improvements Project between US 59 and Bissonnet. Further updates will be sent out as that work is scheduled.

 
Kirby Drive Construction
 
January on Kirby Drive will be monopolized by utility relocation work. Some telecommunications providers have already begun the transfer of services underground and the remaining providers are expected to begin work shortly. Once the overhead utility poles are removed, roadway repaving can commence.

What to Expect:
Existing construction barriers will remain on the west side of the roadway over the next several months while utility work continues. Motorists should expect four lanes to remain unobstructed as utility crews proceed with the transfer of overhead services underground.

Wakeforest Construction
 
The Wakeforest reconstruction project includes water line and storm sewer improvements as well as complete roadway repaving and new sidewalk installation. The new roadway will consist of two, 11-foot lanes and space for on-street parking.

The month of January will consist almost entirely of storm sewer work. Crews should begin crossing Richmond Avenue at Wakeforest this week with the new storm drain running north south from Richmond to Lexington. Crews will begin work on the north side of Richmond Avenue and will proceed south.

What to Expect:
Motorists should expect the Wakeforest roadway to remain closed to through traffic between Richmond and Lexington. Extending across Richmond, work will dictate lane closures on Richmond for a short stretch beginning with the two outside westbound lanes (north side of Richmond). During this phase, westbound traffic will narrow to one lane while the first section of storm sewer is installed. Once complete, work will continue to the center of Richmond, closing the inside two lanes of Richmond. This will leave two eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes open. Finally, the Richmond crossing will be completed with the outside two eastbound lanes (south side of Richmond), reducing eastbound traffic to one lane crossing Wakeforest.

Crews should be able to cross Richmond this month and, by the first part of February, Richmond should be unobstructed.

 
For more information on the reconstruction of Kirby Drive or Wakeforest and for issues and concerns as construction progresses, contact Travis Younkin at 713-524-8000 or email travis@upperkirby.org.
Upper Kirby District Center New Tenant Profile:

Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council


hcdvcc

The Upper Kirby District is proud to welcome the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council to its family of non-profit tenants at the Upper Kirby District Center at 3015 Richmond Avenue.


The Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC) seeks to end domestic violence through a coordinated community response by formalizing the unofficial working agreements and procedures commonly practiced among various entities and organizations providing services for domestic violence victims. 


HCDVCC will celebrate its 15 year anniversary in 2011. 

The Council was established in 1996 with the support of the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Executive Directors of various victim service agencies including shelters, batterer treatment programs, counseling programs, health agencies, universities and special population service agencies.

In the previous 14 years HCDVCC had operated as a non-profit organization with a volunteer board comprised of experts in the domestic violence field. Some accomplishments of the Council through the years include:

  •   Harris County Commissioner's Court designation of the HCDVCC Death Review Team as the official team in Harris County to examine and review adult fatality cases to determine possible gaps in service.  This team gathers data and compiles a report every two years regarding the findings.
  •   Family Justice Center Project:  Collaboration among Harris County District Attorney's Office and 5 Domestic Violence Agencies to provide services to victims who are applying for protective orders.  Each day a different agency provided education to applicants while in the waiting room.  An advocate is available to assist victims with immediate needs and access to emergency shelter if necessary.  Recently the collaboration expanded to include the availability of a Houston Police Department officer on site to assist with filing charges as needed.
  •  Coordination of domestic violence training events for Harris County
  •  Coordination of Domestic Violence Month events

A new chapter unfolded for the Council in 2010 thanks to the Houston Endowment.  The Houston Endowment's generosity allowed HCDVCC to hire two full time staff members to continue the mission of the Council, to work toward increasing collaboration in order to strengthen the community's response to domestic violence, to increase safety for victims, hold perpetrators accountable and prevent domestic violence.

  

Barbie Brashear, the Executive Director and Amy Smith, the Deputy Director come to the Council with over 40 years of experience between them.  Barbie with 18 years at the Bridge Over Troubled Waters, a women's center in Pasadena and Amy with 20 years at the Harris County District Attorney's Office and 2 years at Crime Stoppers of Houston.


The Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council can be reached at 281-400-3680 or for additional information visit www.hcdvcc.org
Greenway Plaza and the
Upper Kirby District are Going Green

GOCMayor Annise Parker and the City of Houston are challenging management districts, commercial property owners, property managers and office tenants to improve the environmental and economic performance of their business operations.

The Houston Green Office Challenge will help our companies achieve strategies that reduce energy use, waste, and water use and provides and exciting way for businesses to make Houston a greener place to live and work.

The Houston Green Office Challenge helps participants with environmental sustainability and in some cases, can move them closer to third-party green building certification through the Energy Star and LEED rating systems.

Join us in achieving our goal as the greenest commercial district in Houston!

Sign up today at www.houstongoc.org

If you have a new business, development or community event that you would like included in the monthly Upper Kirby news, please contact us at 713.524.8000 or submit to streettalk@upperkirby.org
 
Requests will be posted subject to space availability and appropriateness of content.
Upper Kirby is a constantly evolving urban area marked by an outstanding location, great shopping, unique residential neighborhoods, smart development and a small town feel. It is an area of successful businesses, involved communities and a synergy between the public and private sectors. It is the heartbeat of Houston and everywhere you want to be.