Tomball City Council and the Tomball Economic Development Corp. got a clearer look May 12 at what the former First Baptist Church campus could become, but nearby residents made one thing just as clear: they want a say before the project goes any further.

What you need to know: The joint meeting centered on Tomball Legacy Square, the planned redevelopment of the roughly 4.6-acre former church campus in Old Town Tomball. The TEDC engaged Webb Management in fall 2025 to study the site’s market demand, operations, economic impact and redevelopment potential for the former sanctuary, 1949 chapel and fellowship hall, according to the agenda packet.

Zooming in: The feasibility study recommends turning the campus into three main pieces: an 800- to 1,000-seat performing arts hall in the former sanctuary, a visual arts center in the 1949 chapel and an arts education center in the fellowship hall.

One more thing: No vote was taken at the meeting, as it was held for discussion only, and all items were presentation items.

Per a May 12 news release, Potbelly held a soft opening for a new location in Conroe on April 18 and plans to hold a grand opening event on May 16.

The details: The new location is locally owned and operated by Ralph Baig and Omair Farooqui. Baig is an existing Potbelly franchise partner with more than 25 years in the restaurant industry, while Farooqui has extensive experience in commercial development and franchise food service operation, according to the release. 

What you need to know: To celebrate the expansion, during the grand opening event on May 16 the first 25 guests will receive free Potbelly for a year, according to the release. Festivities will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as games for a chance to win prizes and merchandise.

• Soft opened April 28, Grand opening May 16
• 295 Enclave Drive, Ste. 300, Conroe

Magnolia ISD’s board of trustees voted at its May 12 meeting to hire Stewart Builders Inc. and B&C Constructors LP as the construction managers-at-risk for the district’s 2026 bond projects.

The overview: Following voters’ approval of MISD’s bond at the May 2 election, the board was required to choose a delivery method for all projects valued at $50,000 or more in keeping with Government Code 2269. Executive Director of Facilities Tim Bruner recommended the construction manager-at-risk delivery method, which the board unanimously voted for, for the following 2026 bond program projects:

• Elementary School No. 10, opening in 2028 at a cost of $53.9 million
• Elementary School No. 11, opening in 2029 at a cost of $57.7 million
• High School No. 3, opening in 2030 at a cost of $304.7 million
• Magnolia and Magnolia West high school additions

At the May 11 regular board meeting, the Tomball ISD board of trustees voted unanimously to execute a statutory acceptance to the state stating the district does not have the required funds to comply with Senate Bill 546. The bill requires all school districts in the state to use only buses equipped with three-point seat belts. As previously reported by Community Impact, out of TISD's 205 buses, 103 do not meet the new safety requirements.

Meeting highlights: SB 546 requires all districts to submit their official decision and total cost regarding their bus fleets by May 29 to the Texas Education Agency. As previously reported, at the April 13 workshop meeting, the trustees reviewed TISD's fleet and discovered the total cost to retrofit the 103 buses would be $3.24 million-$4.9 million. The cost for the district to purchase 103 buses would be $14.42 million at $140,000 per bus.

A 2023 Texas law allowing state and local police to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally is scheduled to take effect May 15.

The overview: Texas legislators passed Senate Bill 4, a state immigration enforcement law, in late 2023. The law was originally set to take effect in March 2024, but has been tied up in court for more than two years.

For the first time, the law would allow Texas police to arrest migrants they suspect crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization and allow judges to order migrants’ removal if they are found guilty of illegal entry.

The background: SB 4 had been largely blocked by a series of court rulings since early 2024. A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit against SB 4 April 24, and a separate lawsuit was filed May 4.

On May 13, U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra—who previously deemed SB 4 unconstitutional—heard arguments in the secondary lawsuit, although he did not issue a ruling before press time May 13.