Residents of Schertz and travelers on I-35 will soon have access to additional dining and retail opportunities.

In October, Panera Bread opened as the first tenant at Schertz Station, a 257,000-square-foot retail and dining hub that will feature a bevy of national chain restaurants and other shopping opportunities.

The big picture: The property off I-35 North and Cibolo Valley Drive was developed by San Antonio-based Merit CRE, which is investing over $65 million in the hub.

Schertz’s Economic Development Corp., or EDC, worked with Merit on Schertz Station’s surrounding infrastructure, such as adjacent road construction, EDC Executive Director Scott Wayman said.

Wayman said the development was a response to Schertz’s population growth.

“We have a large, growing population that expects services, they expect restaurants, and they expect those things to be within a driving distance of their house and make it convenient for them,” Wayman said.  

Selma City Council approved awarding a contract for engineering services to KSA Engineers, a Pape-Dawson Company, during a regular meeting Dec. 11 for its Cibolo Creek Trail Connectivity Project.

The project looks to improve pedestrian mobility and safety, according to the city's agenda. The Cibolo Creek Trail Connectivity Project will connect the city’s Stage Stop Park & Visitors Center with an existing trail along Evans Road and Cibolo Creek, Selma City Administrator Johnny Casias said in an email to Community Impact.

Trail improvements may include additional shared-use paths and sidewalks, according to the resolution that was passed by City Council in July 2013, demonstrating support for the project.

Why now? Selma's population has increased by 158% between 2010 and 2023, according to five-year American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau. City Council also recognized the need to continue improving the quality of life for current and future Selma residents, the resolution states

A district-wide air conditioning project for Judson ISD is now substantially complete.

What happened: At JISD trustees' Nov. 20 meeting, the board unanimously approved the final payment and acceptance of work for both phases of the District Gym HVAC project.

According to board documents, the project installed heating, ventilation and air conditioning units for district gyms without air conditioning. The first phase installed units at six campuses, and the second phase installed units at nine more.

The first phase of the project with CGC General Contractors cost $2.99 million, according to previous board documents. The second phase with CGC cost $3.73 million, according to an email sent to Community Impact by Nicole Taguinod, district assistant superintendent of employee and public relations. Both phases were part of the district’s 2022 bond, an amount of over $345 million approved by voters.

Central Texas counties could begin receiving up to $1.25 million each in state funding for flood warning sirens in the coming weeks and months, officials announced Dec. 16.

The overview: The funding comes less than six months after historic flooding hit parts of Central and West Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 137 residents and visitors. During special legislative sessions this summer, state lawmakers approved requirements that 30 counties included in a July disaster declaration install flood warning systems with the help of $50 million in state grants.

Zooming in: Each county is expected to receive up to $1.25 million from the Texas Water Development Board. Counties seeking more money will need their requests approved by the three-member board.

Counties are required to submit detailed project plans to the TWDB and can use the grants to install physical infrastructure such as sirens, rain gauges, flood gauges and solar panels to power the warning systems. The money can also be used for local flood education, outreach and training programs, TWDB staff said.