Looped In

In the second part of Looped In's discussion with Houston real estate veterans Joe Colaco, Marvy Finger, Ed Wulfe and Welcome Wilson Sr., we talk about what it was like to work with the legendary architects Philip Johnson and Cesar Pelli; what transit solutions would work best for Houston; and why the Kirby Mansion is worth saving. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Looped In's 100th episode, we sat down with some of the city's most prominent figures in real estate and development. Joe Colaco, Marvy Finger, Ed Wulfe and Welcome Wilson Sr. have spent a collective 230 years shaping our skyline and our suburbs. They debated such charged topics as mass transit, historic preservation and zoning, and shared the high points of their careers and the lessons they learned working in a city whose economic success is inextricably linked to the price of oil.   Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looped In has been on a mini break gearing up for a new year and new episodes, so enjoy this rerun from November 2016 on the history of Houston neighborhoods. (Incidentally, we recorded this episode right after real estate developer Donald Trump was elected president.) Stay tuned for a fresh episode of Looped In (our 100th!) next week. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly 1,800 households in East Texas are still living in trailers provided by FEMA more than a year after Hurricane Harvey. Now, many are at risk of losing their temporary shelters. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a year after Hurricane Harvey, developers continue to build in parts of Houston that flood, and it's not expected to stop anytime soon. After all, one-third of the city is covered by flood plains. On the newest episode of Looped In, Nancy is joined by the Chronicle's Mike Morris, who explains his recent reporting that found one in five homes permitted in Houston in the year after the hurricane is in a flood plain. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of catering to move-up buyers with big housing budgets, builders in Houston are introducing new models with lower price tags and smaller footprints. One company is marketing a 1,000-square-foot model with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one-car garage for under $92,000. Lawrence Dean, regional director of home building consulting firm Metrostudy, talks with Nancy about the growing market for small homes.     Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy and Chronicle retail reporter Paul Takahashi deep dive into Mattress Firm’s strategy of “over-storing” and talk about where the company – now in Chapter 11 – goes from here. Houston retail expert Jason Gaines of NAI Partners joins them to discuss the real estate implications. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her attempts to bring a communal-style pocket neighborhood to Acres Homes, Heidi Eagleton discovered another way she could build in the underserved area: affordable housing. But her homes don't fit the typical image of affordable. They have exposed beams, screened-in porches and fenced yards. They are designed to meet energy efficiency standards. Eagleton joins Nancy and Allyn to discuss her new homes and the challenges building affordable housing in Houston. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whenever Houston finds itself in competition with another city, it’s usually about the food, the fashion or the attitudes of the people – and it’s usually Dallas that we’re defending ourselves against. Houston recently found itself fending off another big-city rival, but for a very different reason: a giant silver bean. Nancy is joined by the Chronicle’s Allyn West and Lisa Gray, who go into it with a Chicago Tribune columnist who wrote a scathing piece on Houston and our newly installed Anish Kapoor “bean” sculpture. Plus, Looped In’s former co-host Erin Mulvaney brings her own hot take to the discussion. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps unlike any other time in history, immigrant labor is playing a critical role in getting Houston back on track, a theme highlighted in a new documentary called "Immigration's crossroad, rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey." Director Gregory Kallenberg and producer (and former Chronicle columnist) Loren Steffy discuss the film, which is part of a series of short documentaries that attempt to bridge the two sides of the immigration debate by framing the issues in a historical context and through personal stories. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricane Harvey destroyed the lower portions of Buffalo Bayou Park, devastating the beloved dog park and causing the loss of some 400 trees. After hauling off 30,000 cubic yards of sediment -- at a cost of more than $1 million -- the Buffalo Bayou Partnership continues its costly efforts to repair what's become Houston's central park. President Anne Olson joins the Chronicle's Nancy Sarnoff and Allyn West to discuss the park's future and the long-term plan for the bayou's eastern stretch. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Walsh, one of the county officials guiding the redevelopment of the Astrodome, and local preservationist James Glassman join Nancy and Harris County reporter Mihir Zaveri to discuss the plans, the funding and the ethos of the project, which aims to transform the Houston’s most legendary landmark into what officials hope will be a coveted event space. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy and Allyn talk to Chronicle writer Molly Glentzer about her story on dismantling the 18th century ballroom at La Colombe d’Or, the boutique hotel on Montrose Boulevard, to make way for a luxury residential tower. Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.