ATX-CPF: Impact 10/30/2025

Dollar Tree has opened in the storefront previously located by Party City in Cedar Park.

The details: The nationwide chain sells household items, snacks, kitchenware, personal care products, seasonal decor and more. The Party City which operated in the storefront closed in late February, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Dollar Tree operates 809 locations in Texas, including three in the Cedar Park area, according to the company’s website.

11066 Pecan Park Blvd., Ste. 401, Cedar Park

Here are the latest business updates for the Cedar Park and Leander areas. This list is not comprehensive.

Now open

A-1 Locksmith
The business, a franchise of the original company that started in Dallas, is the first A-1 Locksmith location in Central Texas. The shop is a licensed safe dealer and offers services for car keys, house keys, commercial keys, utility keys and more.

• Opened Sept. 12
• 821 W. New Hope Drive, Cedar Park
• www.a-1locksmith.com

• Opened Aug. 1
• 921 W. New Hope Dr., Ste. 503, Cedar Park
• www.ardham.com

Campaigns against Austin's Proposition Q reported a strong fundraising advantage over supporters of the tax increase ballot measure in the weeks leading up to the November election.

The details: Several political action committees, or PACs, are working in favor of or against Proposition Q this fall. After already spending tens of thousands of dollars on their campaigns as of late September, new reporting from the groups this week shows that activity has ramped up with days to go until Election Day.

Pro-Proposition Q PACs drew about $80,000 in the past month and spent more than $120,000 on their campaigns. On the other side, groups opposing the tax rate measure reported contributions totaling almost $290,000 and about $260,000 in spending.

The Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor, which hosts the Williamson County Fair and Rodeo, completed its West Arena project Oct. 24.

About the project: The expo center received a 175-by-450-foot covered arena, name the Friendship Pavilion. The project also included construction of two 28-by-28-foot covered picnic and a paved parking area.

Totaling $10.7 million, project funds came from the 2023 voter-approved county parks bond. Williamson County officials celebrated the completion of the West Arena project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The history: The Friendship Pavilion is named after the community of Friendship, which established itself in Williamson County in the 1880s. Friendship experienced several destructive floods from the San Gabriel River in the 1900s, and the site of the former community is now located beneath Granger Lake.

• 5350 Bill Pickett Trail, Taylor

The overview: As Community Impact enters its third decade, it’s returning to its roots of growth and deeper reader connections. The “Patron” program, which began in 2020 by reader demand, has relaunched as the InCIder.

“This relaunch represents our renewed commitment to readers who support our local news,” CEO John Garrett said. “Beyond funding great journalism, we also want to reward our InCIders and build deeper connections with them, creating a true sense of community around the work we do.”

Event details: As part of the relaunch, Community Impact will host its first-ever InCIder Hour, a new event aimed at celebrating and engaging the company’s supporters.

The event, open to InCIders only, will take place Nov. 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Community Impact Headquarters, 16225 Impact Way, Pflugerville.

Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow InCIders, meet Community Impact staff and attend a featured conversation with legislative reporter Hannah Norton, moderated by Garrett.

“Our first event needed to start where all the hard work is put together,” Garrett said. “People are blown away when they see our operation. To be able to sit and chat with the best legislative reporter in Texas, Hannah Norton, makes it an event our InCIder friends deserve and hopefully will enjoy.”