The city of Buda’s Downtown Co-Marketing Grant Program provides small businesses in the downtown district with up to $3,000 a year for marketing purposes.

On Aug. 4, the City Council amended the program to improve accessibility for small businesses, modernize the grant guidelines, clarify eligibility requirements, establish standardized compliance procedures and improve administration.

The gist: The Downtown Co-Marketing Grant Program has offered reimbursement-only grant funding, requiring businesses to pay for marketing upfront, since its creation in 2018. The approved amendment revises the program, allowing businesses to receive up to $1,000 in advance funding for approved marketing projects.

The revised grant structure improves accessibility for small business owners who may not have the resources to pay marketing expenses upfront, according to agenda documents.

Diving deeper: The Downtown Co-Marketing Grant Program is designed to increase visitation to Historic Downtown Buda, help businesses market to visitors and encourage tourism and overnight stays in the city, according to agenda documents.

Businesses and events located or held downtown can apply for the funding opportunity.

The Hays CISD community will soon see a new comprehensive high school as the district breaks ground on the $396 million construction project. An update on the project was provided on the district’s back-to-school information page.

The big picture: Construction began in May and is expected to continue for approximately four years. District officials plan to open High School No. 4 in time for the 2030-31 school year. The school will have the capacity for 2,800 students.

Construction of High School No. 4 was funded by Proposition B of the 2025 voter-approved bond. The school is being built to meet the district's enrollment needs. HCISD has added about 1,000 new students each year since 2018.

The interior renovation of IBC Bank in Austin, a Walmart renovation in Round Rock and a new 7 Brew in Leander are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. IBC Bank Plaza interior renovations ($6 million): This project involves the partial interior finish-out of four levels in the building, including renovations of shared core spaces, elevator lobbies and common corridors on floors 6-13.

2. Pease Community Campus Phase 1 ($2.1 million): Pease Elementary School in downtown Austin is being transformed into the Pease Community Campus.

3. Walmart renovation ($1.3 million): This project includes an interior and exterior remodel of an existing Walmart in Round Rock.

4. Tim Hortons ($750,000): This project involves the renovation of an existing 3,107 square foot space to a Tim Hortons.

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location is coming to Leander. The drive-thru coffee shop will be 510 square feet, with construction set to wrap up this fall.

St. David’s HealthCare announced it acquired 14 Texas MedClinic Urgent Care centers in August.

Latest update: The urgent care centers will be rebranded as St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care clinics, per an Aug. 3 news release.

This brings the number of urgent care facilities under the St. David’s system to 39 in Central Texas alone, according to the company.

In their own words: “Access to convenient, high-quality urgent care is essential for the health and well-being of our growing community,” David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, said in the release. “Adding these urgent care facilities significantly expands the St. David’s CareNow footprint into new Central Texas communities, including Burnet, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Lockhart and Dripping Springs, connecting more patients to the trusted care and resources of St. David’s HealthCare.”