Inside Today: Detours in place as Phase 2 of Shepherd-Durham Project begins - Page 2 PLUMBING, LLC ~Family Owned and Operated~ • Residential/ Commercial • Water Heater • Leak Detection • Licensed, Bonded & Insured • No Hidden Fees
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
“Your Neighborhood Plumber”
832-219-7599
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • Vol. 71 • No. 7
ABOUT US 713-371-3600 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/FromTheLeader
HAR local data by zip code: Houston housing market rings in the new year with signs of balance in January STAFF REPORTS
Leader’s Choice BEST ATTORNEY
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 5005 W. 34th Street, Suite 104A Legal Services For Wills, Probate Estate Planning & Real Estate
PHYLLIS A. OESER Attorney At LAw 713-692-0300
INSIDE.
Steady demand, expanding inventory shape January activity The Houston housing market kicked off the new year with familiar signs of adjustment, as inventory expanded, homes spent more time on the market and demand remained steady. According to the Houston Association of Realtors’ January 2026 Housing Market Update, single-family
home sales declined 1.0 percent from a year earlier, with 4,999 homes sold compared to 5,047 in January 2025, marking the fewest transactions recorded since January 2023. Pending sales rose 8.5 percent year-over-year, signaling continued buyer interest. Home prices were mixed during January. The median home price edged down to $322,045, its lowest level since January 2024, when it stood at $320,000. The average price rose 2.8 percent to $416,722, driven largely by
more activity in the luxury market. The luxury segment – comprised of homes priced at $1 million and above and representing just 4.2 percent of all homes on the market – was the strongest-performing sector, with transactions up 15.5 percent year-over-year. Activity slowed in the $250,000 to $499,999 price range, which accounted for more than half of all home sales in January. As inventory expanded, homes averaged 66 days on the market, up from
CURTAIN CALL? By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
Rep. Al Green calls for unity and resilience at legislative breakfast
A beloved piece of northwest Houston history could soon disappear.
Page 4
The Garden Oaks Theater, the 1947 neighborhood movie house marked by its iconic neon marquee along North Shepherd, is facing imminent demolition after a development company purchased the property late last year. Preservation advocates say the building could be torn down at any time unless the city steps in to delay the process. Leading the push to save the theater is Arthouse Houston, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving cinema and film culture, and one of its founding board members, Houston historian and educator Mister McKinney. “This is exactly how we lost other historic theaters—by the time most people find out, it’s already too late,” McKinney said. “Houston is a pro-development city, and that’s not a bad thing. But development has to be balanced with preservation, and right now the community isn’t being listened to.” For many longtime residents, the threat of demolition has stirred deeply personal memories. Gene Ruple told of a brush with celebrity at the theater decades ago on social media. “My sister was there watching a movie and none other than Elvis Presley wandered in just after the movie had started and sat in the back and stayed until it was almost over,” Ruple wrote. “He smiled at my sis and gave her a nod. That had to be late ’50s or early ’60s.” Others shared simpler but equally meaningful memories of growing up with the theater as a neighborhood fixture. “I grew up in Garden Oaks,” Louise Young wrote on Facebook. “Me, my friends and brothers went there many, many times through the years. I’m 73 now and remember it so well.” See THEATER P. 2
Page 5
This Saturday: ZiegFest Music Festival returns to Karbach Brewing
Page 6
Push Up Foundation set to host 6th Annual ‘Victory Lap’ in the Heights
Page 8
See HAR P. 2
GHP looks at region’s economic performance Community rallies to save Garden in 2025
Oaks Theater from demolition
Council Member Abbie Kamin named 2025 Local Legislator of the Year
61 days the previous year. That marked the longest average days on market since February 2020, when homes averaged 68 days. “Right now, buyers have more choices and a bit more time to make decisions, while sellers are adjusting to a market that’s becoming more balanced,” said HAR Chair Theresa Hill with Compass RE Texas, LLC - Houston. “With rates expected to ease a little this year,
Photo courtesy of Mister McKinney Media
The Houston History Bus was parked in front of the Garden Oaks Theater during a Feb. 15 protest aimed at saving the historic building from demolition.
STAFF REPORTS Editor’s note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for February, the Greater Houston Partnership – the regional chamber of commerce – takes a look back at 2025 to assess how Houston’s economy performed—and how it stayed resilient through a year of uncertainty. This article first appeared in The Leader’s sister paper, the Fort Bend Star. Economic data for the final months of 2025 continue to trickle in. With each report, a clearer picture of the previous year emerges. • Job growth cooled nationwide. Houston still added jobs at a faster pace than the rest of the country, although its momentum eased from recent years. • Even with slower job growth, unemployment stayed low—consistent with the national “low-hire, low-fire” environment. • The Purchasing Manager’s Index signaled continued economic growth, led by non-manufacturing activity. • Inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s target, but well below the highs of recent years. • Port Houston remained on track for a record year in container traffic, even as tariffs pulled down the region’s overall trade in dollar terms. • Consumers kept spending on bigticket items, with vehicle sales setting a new high and home sales rising. • Construction contracts stayed solid, with strength in commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects offsetting softer residential activity.
Employment
Metro Houston created 14,800 jobs in 2025. That represents a 0.4 percent job growth rate, which falls below the 1.5 percent average pace of the past decade. The slower pace reflects a broader national slowdown in hiring, which tempered job growth across the United States. Even so, Houston outpaced the rest of the nation for an eighth straight year, with the region’s 0.4 percent job growth rate surpassing the national 0.3 percent. That relative strength speaks to Houston’s solid fundamentals, including its diversified industrial base, large and growing population, and key role in global energy. The Garden Oaks Theater in 1948
Photo courtesy of Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston Archives
See GHP P. 5
Junior League of Houston supports local non-profits with 78th Annual Charity Ball By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com ExxonMobil Theater District Open House returns March 9
Page 8
THE INDEX. Topics ........................................4 Classifieds .................................7
The Junior League of Houston rang in a milestone year with a signature celebration, hosting its 78th Annual Charity Ball, A Saddle & Silver Soirée, on Jan. 30 and 31 before a full house of supporters, volunteers and members at 1811 Briar Oaks Lane. The two-day, black-tie event, long a cornerstone fundraiser for the organization, set the tone for a year honoring more than 100 years of service, leadership and investment in the Houston community as the League begins its second century of impact.
A two-day celebration with new additions
Featuring food, dancing and themed festivities, the event blended the elegance of the past with the bold spirit of the open range. New this year, the Bridle & Bloom Luncheon marked the League’s first event of its kind and featured Allison Hay, chief executive officer of Houston Habitat for Humanity, as the keynote speaker. Hay highlighted Habitat’s decadeslong partnership with the League and the collective impact of both organizations on the Houston community. Guests enjoyed lunch See CHARITY P. 5
Photo by Jacob Power
2026 Charity Ball Luncheon in the ballroom at Junior League of Houston
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? Scan this QR code to make a donation through Paypal today!