Gym franchise Crunch Fitness is slated to bring a new location to North Austin, per a permit filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: Crunch Fitness offers cardio and strength training equipment, personal training, a group fitness studio and other amenities such as red light therapy and water massage beds.

While the TDLR filing states a January 2027 completion date, a representative for the business did not immediately respond to inquiries confirming the new location or an expected opening date.

What else?: Earlier this year gym franchisees announced Crunch's expansion into South Austin, with a location at Southpark Meadows, which opened this fall.

• 8716 Research Blvd., Ste. 100, Austin

From new bridges and long-planned trail connections to construction impacts and regional ambitions, Austin’s trail network saw a series of notable milestones and changes taking shape across the city.

1. New bridge along downtown Austin trail marks milestone in Waterloo Greenway project
As part of the plans for the second phase of the Waterloo Greenway—a project known as The Confluence—the Hartman Bridge opened to the public Jan. 27, during a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony furthering the project's goal of increasing pedestrian east-west connections.

2. Local officials break ground on east-west trail connection in South Austin
Once a bustling rail line, the construction of a trail in South Austin will bring new purpose into the bygone Bergstrom Spur transit corridor.

City of Austin officials broke ground Jan. 31 on the first phase of the Bergstrom Spur Trail, transforming the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad tracks into an east-west shared-use path.

Here are five of the most-read CI Texas stories from this year and the latest updates on these trending topics.

1. Texas Senate passes bill that would nearly double property tax exemption for seniors, people with disabilities: Elderly and disabled homeowners were set to receive a $200,000 property tax exemption this year.

2. Texas House bill would make it easier to remove students from the classroom: The law gives teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others.

3. What to know about the 17 state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot: Nearly 3 million Texans voted in the November election, approving all 17 constitutional amendments.

4. Texas House bill would prohibit cellphone use in K-12 schools: Under House Bill 1481, cellphones and other personal communication devices are prohibited bell-to-bell in Texas public schools.

5. Texas families can now access 2022-23 A-F school accountability ratings after multiyear legal battle: The state later released ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in August.