MML Hospitality announced in February that it launched a partnership with the owners of Bartlett’s to launch a second location in south Austin. The new restaurant will be located in the former Threadgill’s space, which shuttered in 2020. 

Construction on the new Bartlett’s is estimated to cost $4 million, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

Learn more: The announcement came just months before Bartlett’s celebrated its 40th anniversary, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The restaurant is known for its hand-cut fish and steaks, fresh-ground burgers, and other scratch-made items.

MML Hospitality, the group behind Clark’s Oyster Bar, Neighborhood Sushi and Jeffery’s, will oversee service and culinary operations, according to a social media post. 

Next steps: Olson Kundig is designing the 9,000-square-foot space, according to MML, which is expected to feature green space, outdoor seating and booths. 

A recent Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project filing shows that construction on the new Bartlett’s is estimated to begin in early 2027, wrapping up in late September. 

• 301 W. Riverside Drive, Austin

Austin ISD's budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year landed at $105 million, and the district's financial rating dropped to a B for the first time since at least 2017, Superintendent Matias Segura and Chief Financial Officer Katrina Montgomery told the board Aug. 27.

By the numbers: The shortfall grew throughout the year, per district data: $19 million at adoption, $121 million after a mid-year amendment and $105 million in the final unaudited number, $86 million higher than first approved. That drop pulled the district's fund balance down to 8.8% for 2025-26, well below the 15.21% target set at adoption, per district data.

What's next: AISD officials plan to borrow $140 million this fall to bridge cash flow until property taxes arrive, up sharply from last year's $19 million note, which cost about $250,000 in fees.

This year's borrowing cost wasn't finalized as of the meeting. A second reduction of $60 million tied to property-sale proceeds is penciled in for FY 2027-28, though it hasn't gone to the board yet.

Austin is continuing its expanded outreach and enforcement of public encampments that ramped up this spring and has since cleared dozens of sites across the city.

The details: Earlier this year, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations announced it would be sending out more city crews on a regular basis to address encampments in public areas. That new Homeless Encampment Management, or HEM, program started in May and led to hundreds of site visits citywide in its first month. Dozens of people were connected to shelter or services in that time.

The first 30 days of HEM cost just over $719,000, the majority of which went to city employee and contractor pay. Those costs largely fell under ongoing camping enforcement, officials said, and the program doesn't represent significant new spending.

A new public mapping tool is now live online allowing residents to see where encampments are being cleared and monitored, and the city will share more data on the program later this year.

Voters in Austin ISD, District 4, will choose their school board trustee on Nov. 3, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Community Impact asked candidates to share their motivations, priorities, and vision for the district.

Read the full Q&A for details on each candidate's platform ahead of the general election.

Check out stories trending in the Austin area Aug. 31-Sept. 3. 

1. Georgetown to reduce speed limit on Ronald Reagan Boulevard

2. Rooftop padel club planned at downtown Austin Convention Center garage

3. New East Austin supportive housing offers exit from homelessness

4. Round Rock residents to see higher water, wastewater, sewer bills

5. Bee Cave rejects permit for VVater research lab

6. Hays County secures over $39 million for railroad overpass at Centerpoint Road