A new 1.02 acre park named Millie at Hangar is opening in North Loop this fall. Located at 403 E Koenig Lane, the park is situated on the east side of Hangar, an apartment complex developed by Seco Ventures that is opening next year.

A closer look: The park features several amenities, including:

• A sports court

• A heritage oak tree

• A 3,000 pound play slide and a playscape for children

• A 50-foot mural designed and painted by artist Luis Angulo

What’s in a name: The park is named after Mildred "Millie" Inks Davidson Dalrymple, honoring the aviation history of North Loop. She took flying lessons at the local airfield during World War II before joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.

Stay tuned: Seco Ventures will transfer ownership of the park to Austin Parks and Recreation in late October. The city will then open it to the public.

The Austin Bats, Austin's only professional basketball team, will return to the court on Oct. 25 for the American Basketball Association 2026-2027 season. Founded 12 years ago by Leticia Castillo, the team is making its debut as national champions after winning the league title on April 12, 2026.

The details: Following their championship win, the Bats are making several changes:

• Home games will move from Travis High School to St. Edward’s University.

• The team will launch a new mascot, with fans submitting name suggestions.

• The organization is seeking new sponsors and partnerships.

Key players: Head coach and general manager Rommel Corro leads the team. Core players to watch include JaMichael Brown, Ty Jordan, DK Eldridge, Mims O'Neal, Alue Alue and Solomon Mitchell.

What’s next: The Bats will host the 2028 National Championship in Austin. For the upcoming season, the team will play 20 games, including 11 home games, with tickets priced at $10.

An advanced manufacturing facility in Austin, an elementary school in Leander and a LongHorn Steakhouse in Hutto are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Project Toaster ($100 million): This project involves civil site development and construction of a core-and-shell building for Project Toaster, an advanced manufacturing facility.

2. Project Phantom ($60 million): This project involves the construction of a 285,000-square-foot warehouse with associated site improvements and parking.

3. Elementary School No. 31 ($56 million): Leander ISD plans to open its new elementary school in August 2028.

4. LongHorn Steakhouse ($3.8 million): A new LongHorn Steakhouse location is coming to Hutto, with construction set to wrap up in August.

5. CARTS Bastrop Park & Ride Expansion ($1.5 million): This project involves a parking lot expansion, EV charging stations, a bike-share pod, landscaping and miscellaneous site improvements for the existing bus station.

The average annual insurance premium for a Texas homeowner rose 79% in six years, from less than $2,000 in 2020 to more than $3,500 this year, Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford told state lawmakers Oct. 5.

The overview: The rise in home insurance costs has been caused by severe weather, high inflationary costs impacting home repairs and "the concentration of risk" in the insurance market, Crawford said.

Experts said hardening homes against severe weather could help reduce expensive losses from disasters, resulting in lower insurance premiums.

Zooming in: Proponents of home-hardening incentives have pointed to their success in other Gulf Coast states, such as Alabama. Texas consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry backed proposals to create a similar grant program last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting, but those measures did not pass.

"Resilience helps homeowners long before it shows up in an insurance bill because a stronger home holds up better when the storm comes," said Chelsea Stallings, a regional vice president for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.