North Austin-based barbecue restaurant and food truck SLAB BBQ rebranded as Slack City BBQ in February.

The details: The restaurant sells barbecue sandwiches; sausage wraps; brisket, chicken and other meats by the pound; and specialty items such as barbecue nachos, barbecue mac and cheese, sliders, loaded fries and wings. Customers can also pair meals with four different sauces.  Sides and desserts include potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, green bean casserole, banana pudding and cookies.

Something to note: According to a representative for the business, original pitmaster Mark Avalos is still with the business. The business started off as the Sugar Shack BBQ trailer at the University of Texas before becoming SLAB BBQ.

• 9012 Research Blvd., Austin

Local transportation officials are gearing up to gather the final public comments on the Parmer Lane Corridor study.

The project from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Texas Department of Transportation could bring various safety and mobility improvements along Parmer from MoPac in Austin to Whitestone Boulevard in Cedar Park.

What you need to know: CAMPO's Transportation Policy Board adopted 10 regional corridors to study and prepare for future multimodal transportation improvement projects in 2021. CAMPO officials said the study will use public input to help the agencies more clearly define and identify feasible improvements to make on Parmer. This process will include an analysis of previous plans and studies, current and projected traffic volumes, crash hotspots, environmental features, and other needs or concerns identified through public input. 

Get involved: Officials will hold the in-person public hearing on March 25 from 4-7 p.m. at the Rattan Creek Community Center for community members to submit official comments. A virtual public comment period will also open March 25 and close April 27.

Check out the latest updates on upcoming, ongoing and completed transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Austin’s I-35 cap-and-stitch vision faces uncertain funding future: The outlook for Austin's ambitious plans to cover stretches of the redesigned I-35 with public amenity decks remains unclear due to the high costs of constructing the project, which city staff advised not to fund as of this spring. City Council committed last year to pay the Texas Department of Transportation $104 million to add structural supports along I-35, which are needed for any future decks to be built. But no funding has yet been set aside for the development of caps and stitches or public amenities. 

Ongoing projects
Greenlawn Boulevard widening
Project: The city of Round Rock is reconstructing Greenlawn Boulevard from an existing four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided urban roadway with pedestrian and lighting improvements.
Update: Construction began in January, per city officials.

• Timeline: completion is expected by April 2027

• Cost: $13.95 million

• Funding source: type B sales tax revenue

Kites, wiener dogs, bluegrass and more—the spring festival season is here, and it stretches well beyond Austin city limits. 

ABC Kite Fest
Nearly a century old, this Zilker Park tradition will pull more than 10,000 kites into the Austin sky. Handmade and commercial kites will compete side-by-side while live music, children’s activities, a pet zone and a mini market populate the park.

• April 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin

Red Poppy Festival
Georgetown's downtown square will transform over three days with a mix of artisan markets, live music, food vendors and parades celebrating the event's namesake flower.

• April 24-26, times vary

• Free (admission)

• 710 S. Main St., Georgetown

Buda Wiener Dog Races
Buda, the self-proclaimed Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, will host dachshund races across multiple heats with awards for speed and costumes. The two-day event aims to bring families together for food, vendors and community celebration.

• April 25-26, 8 a.m.

• $10

• 204 San Antonio St., Buda

Austin ISD will close Blackshear Elementary and relocate students to a new facility for Oak Springs Elementary in January of 2028.

What happened: AISD Superintendent Matias Segura announced his decision in a letter to families March 30.

In November, AISD announced it would close Oak Springs alongside nine additional campuses and merge the campus with Blackshear. Earlier this year, the district announced it would consider moving students once again by relocating both East Austin schools to a modernized campus for Oak Springs.

The update: After reviewing community feedback, Segura said he has decided to continue constructing the $47.6 million modernized Oak Springs campus. The new campus—funded by the district's 2022 bond—will serve as the permanent home for students from both Blackshear and Oak Springs elementaries.

The $50 million budget allocated for Oak Springs "would not be enough to bring the Blackshear site up to modern standards," Segura said.

The district will seek a historic designation for Blackshear and aim to maintain its fine arts programming at the new Oak Springs campus, according to the letter.