From mixed-use developments bringing new businesses to the area to planned improvements along Hwy. 290, here are some of the top Bastrop County stories from 2025.

75-acre mixed-use development to bring new businesses, multifamily housing and more to Bastrop
In April, Pearl River Companies will be breaking ground on the next phase of a 75-acre mixed-use development—Sendero. Once completed, the development will feature new hotel, retail, dining, housing, and health and wellness options.

11,985-square-foot retail center to be built in Bastrop’s Adelton community
Developers have announced plans for a retail center in Adelton, marking a major step toward delivering the first shops and services for the mixed-use, master-planned community in Bastrop.

Hwy. 290 extension could improve travel between Travis and Bastrop counties
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is planning for a 290 Extension Project—improvements that would reduce congestion between Hwy. 130 and Hwy. 95 South.

Shoppers can expect a new grocery option this spring when Sprouts Farmers Market officials open a Bastrop store, bringing 82 full- and part-time jobs and a focus on fresh and natural foods, company officials said in a news release.

What job seekers should know: Sprouts officials said two in-person hiring events are planned at the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St., including:

• Jan. 13, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Jan. 14, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• 651 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. 101, Bastrop

In 2026, the Texas Children’s Ambassadors Program will be allocating more funds to the Kangaroo Crew, the hospital system’s transport program. One way the hospital will be investing more in the program is by introducing its own helicopter at Texas Children’s North Austin Hospital, which is set to arrive in early 2026.

How we got here: Assistant Clinical Director Kami Stone said the team spent months identifying a location to store the helicopter, which would give them the quickest access to their patients at the North Austin hospital. The Kangaroo Crew spent an additional six months training and securing supplies to make sure they would be on track for the January launch date.

How it works: Stone said the helicopter will be used in situations where a patient is too sick to wait for the responders to arrive via ambulance and cases of “surgical and medical emergencies” in which a patient is stable but there is a high risk of something going bad.

• 9835 N. Lake Creek Parkway, Austin

Approximately three dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, impacting how artificial intelligence is used in state government, when local officials can raise taxes after natural disasters and how much of businesses' inventory is taxed.

The background: The changes come after Texas’s biennial legislative session ended in early June. Gov. Greg Abbott signed over 1,100 laws passed by state lawmakers, many of which took effect in June or September.

The details: Some of the bills becoming law in the new year are:

• House Bill 9, which will expand a tax exemption for business owners
• House Bill 30, which will tighten regulations on counties' and cities' abilities to raise tax rates after natural disasters
• House Bill 149, which will regulate the fast-growing AI industry
• House Bill 247, which will exempt certain border security infrastructure from property tax increases
• House Bill 1399, which will create a property tax exemption for stores selling animal feed
• House Bill 2508, which will establish a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of certain military members