Dr. David Harris                  Photo courtesy of CHARM

By Lynette Haaland

Dr. David Harris is moving offices to River Place to grow and expand.

Harris, who is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine, is part of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine or CHARM at 7307 Creekbluff Dr. 78750.

In mid-August, Harris closed on the new building next to VIK Medical at River Place. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the new, approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building. The building, which is the mirror image of VIK just flipped, is expected to be ready to move into by the end of the year.
“(Harris) is expanding his successful practice and relocating their headquarters to this building. He wanted to develop a nice building in one of the most prestigious parts of Austin and grow his practice and bring on more doctors,” Johnson said. Harris may be selling, leasing or keeping their current office space.

As of 2014, Harris has performed more than 20,000 interventional spine procedures, and approximately 100,000 regenerative injection procedures.

Harris served as medical director of Spine Austin from 2005 through 2008 before deciding to build a center of excellence based on the concepts of regenerative medicine.

Harris has also served as medical director for St. David’s Rehabilitation Center in Austin and has been an adjunct associate professor at the University of Texas in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He has taught interventional spine techniques including regenerative injection therapy to many physicians nationally and internationally, including physicians from Mexico, India, Croatia, Canada and Argentina.

Harris has also treated many athletes from UT, Baylor University and other Texas universities, and has treated numerous touring musicians.

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Most of the commercial construction at River Place is moving along at a steady clip ​—​ new doctor offices being built, a new Montessori school breaking ground soon and a well-known coffee shop in negotiations. In contrast, the Marriott hotel construction has slowed down considerably.

Medical niche

Four Points, and River Place in particular, is becoming a high-end medical draw, said Edward Johnson, president and founder of Johnson Trube & Associates LLC, a real estate development and commercial brokerage firm. He worked on the Texan Urgent Care building in River Place as well.

“This is a nice neighborhood with medical components to it. It’s about to have all the services you’d want right (in Four Points,)” said Johnson.

“It’s a really nice product out there. All the tenants love the River Place neighborhood and half the doctors seem to live out there,” Johnson said.

In mid-August, Dr. David Harris closed on the new medical building at River Place located next to VIK Medical. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building.

Harris

In mid-August, Dr. David Harris closed on the new building next to VIK Medical. Harris, of the Center For Healing And Regenerative Medicine, is taking the top floor of the approximate 15,500-square-foot, two story building. The building, which is the mirror image of VIK just flipped, is expected to be ready to move into by the end of the year.

“(Harris) is expanding his successful practice and relocating their headquarters to this building. He wanted to develop a nice building in one of the most prestigious parts of Austin and grow his practice and bring on more doctors,” Johnson said. Harris may be selling, leasing or keeping their current office space. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Traffic delays are bad in Four Points ​—​ especially last week with back-to-school traffic ​and reports of massive delays. The Texas Department of Transportation is making progress in its efforts to help alleviate congestion along RM 620 and RM 2222.

Photo by Shawn Olsen

A dual left turn lane from RM 2222 onto McNeil Drive is expected to go out for bid by February and be completed a year from now. Additionally, TxDOT is in negotiations to hire a consultant for a proposed bypass road, which years from now could increase traffic flow and reduce delays by 65 percent in Four Points, said Greg Malatek, district engineer for TxDOT’s Austin District, which comprises of 11 counties.

Malatek gave these updates on August 21 at the Four Points Chamber of Commerce luncheon at River Place Country Club.

TxDOT hired HDR Engineering Inc. last year to come up with solutions for Four Points’ congestion. Rashed Islam, vice president at HDR, took the lead on the project and he was at the recent Aug. 21 presentation.

Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

An Estates of Westridge couple said that Saturday afternoon a helicopter was flying so low in front of their house it seemed like it was at their roofline. The helicopter seemed like it was about to land on their front yard, said Matt Young, the homeowner.

“(It) totally stirred up leaves and mulch everywhere,” Young said. They opened their front door to see what was going on and debris flew in their house. Yard debris blew into their garage too.

“Debris was blowing so hard someone could have gotten hurt,” Young said.

Gary Starzmann lives a few houses down from the Youngs. He said a similar situation happened on August 16. He was at his desk and heard a helicopter nearby.

“It was really loud and not going away. He was hovering… and it looked like he was on approach for landing in the neighborhood,” said Starzmann, who flew helicopters in the U.S. Army for more than seven years.

Starzmann was standing in his driveway before he joined other neighbors who came outside to see what was going on. The neighborhood is hilly but Starzmann still lost sight of the helicopter “below the rooftops. That’s pretty telling,” he said.

Hovering helicopter on Sat., Aug. 30.
Photo by Karen Trujillo

Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

A Steiner Ranch couple is having to take drastic action in a further attempt to bring their adoptive son, Henry, home from Africa.

On Sept. 4, Sherri Smetana is boarding a plane by herself with a one-way ticket to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Smetana family shown here at the Fourth of July Parade in Steiner Ranch is missing one member, adopted son Henry who is still in Africa. This week Sherri leaves for Africa in hopes of bringing Henry home soon.
Photo by Lynette Haaland

“I’m pretty much staying until I can bring him back,” she said. “I need to make sure that he’s ok. I’m trying to parent a child from across the world and that’s impossible.”

The decision wasn’t easy. Staying behind will be her husband, Andy, and their 5-year-old twin girls, who just started kindergarten last week.

Continue reading →