An approximately 14.76-acre mixed-use development called the Texas State Business Park has broken ground near Tahitian Village in Bastrop—a project developers with The Woodlands-based Newcor expect to bring jobs, services and long-term economic opportunity to the area.

What we know: Texas State Business Park will be located along Lovers Lane and will offer spaces ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 square feet, accommodating a variety of uses, including:

• Retail space
• Flex space
• Office space
• Workspace

Springfest will return to Bastrop this April, bringing a free, family-friendly festival to Fisherman’s Park in support of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Bastrop, Fayette and Lee Counties.

What we know: The event, aimed at raising awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, will feature the following:

• Children-centered games

• Bounce houses

• Arts and crafts

• Hands-on activities

It will also focus on helping children establish connections with trusted adults in the community, according to CASA officials.

• April 12, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• Fisherman’s Park, 1200 Willow St., Bastrop

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

At least 257,000 students have applied for Texas’ inaugural education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office. Less than half of those applicants are likely to be accepted.

The overview: Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts close at 11:59 p.m. March 31. Students enrolling in private schools will receive $10,474 to spend on tuition and related expenses, while homeschool students can get up to $2,000 each, and students with disabilities may qualify for up to $30,000 each.

Through March 29, about 23% of applicants had indicated they would be homeschooled while 77% of applicants said they wanted to attend a private school, state data shows.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted.

By the numbers: About 34,000 students indicated in their application that they have a disability, per the comptroller's office. Students who have a disability and are considered low- or middle-income will receive priority acceptance into the program under state law.