What we reported

The Harris County Courthouse annex on Cypresswood Drive, which also houses a Precinct 4 constable’s office station and the Harris County sheriff’s office District 1 station, was badly damaged by several feet of floodwaters during Hurricane Harvey. It closed for renovation during the fall. Law enforcement and court personnel relocated to other facilities during the repairs. Several community buildings, including the Barbara Bush Branch Library and The Centrum performance space at Cypress Creek Christian Church, were also closed after flooding.

The latest

The Cypresswood Drive courthouse annex was still undergoing renovation in December. Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said furniture and infrastructure for his department’s offices in the building cost $300,000, and he will begin to move his deputies back into the building in late January. Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Cultural Enrichment, which previously held performances at The Centrum, relocated its offices to 6450 Louetta Road, Ste. 200, Spring, and has scheduled performances at other community venues for 2017-18.

What’s next

The Cypresswood Drive courthouse annex is expected to reopen in February, Harris County Engineer John Blount said. Long-term plans could include eventually relocating the offices on a 172-acre county-owned parcel of land at Hwy. 249 and Holderrieth Road where a service center for Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle will be located, but there are no immediate plans to build new courthouse facilities at that location, Blount said. Renovation work at the library is ongoing and includes painting, elevator repair and replacing the flooring, Branch Manager Clara Maynard said.

This story is one update from The January Issue. View the full list of Top 8 stories to follow in 2018 here.