Austin City Council approved the rezoning for a new multifamily housing development located on the west side of Loop 360 on Oct. 8.

The rezoning will allow for a denser, mixed-use development with potential for both commercial and residential space, yet residents from the nearby Lost Creek neighborhood expressed concerns surrounding traffic dangers.

The background: The proposed development would include 475 multifamily units, with an affordable housing component and potential for ground-level retail and commercial uses.

The issue: Several community members from the Lost Creek neighborhood expressed concerns surrounding the increase in traffic the proposed development may bring to Loop 360.

The entrances to the new development and the Lost Creek neighborhood are both along Loop 360.

The city previously stated that a traffic impact analysis was not required as the traffic expected from the proposal did not exceed the thresholds that trigger a traffic impact analysis under the city’s Land Development Code.

What else: The rezoning request passed with council member Marc Duchen voting in opposition.

A new brokerage firm called Waypoint Property Advisors opened in September, with a business office located in Southwest Austin.

The details: Waypoint Property Advisors was founded by brokers John Waltmon and Adam Rettig. Waltmon said they have about $2 billion in combined residential transaction volume following careers in institutional single-family investment.

The independent real estate brokerage serves buyers, sellers and investors across the Austin metro, including Bee Cave, Cedar Park, Kyle, Lakeway, Round Rock and West Lake Hills.

The brokerage represents clients for residential and commercial purchases and sales, and advises investors on acquisitions, valuation and dispositions, Waltmon said.

• 4425 S. MoPac Expressway, Bldg. 4, Ste. 701, Austin

The Austin Bats, Austin's only professional basketball team, will return to the court on Oct. 25 for the American Basketball Association 2026-2027 season. Founded 12 years ago by Leticia Castillo, the team is making its debut as national champions after winning the league title on April 12, 2026.

The details: Following their championship win, the Bats are making several changes:

• Home games will move from Travis High School to St. Edward’s University.

• The team will launch a new mascot, with fans submitting name suggestions.

• The organization is seeking new sponsors and partnerships.

Key players: Head coach and general manager Rommel Corro leads the team. Core players to watch include JaMichael Brown, Ty Jordan, DK Eldridge, Mims O'Neal, Alue Alue and Solomon Mitchell.

What’s next: The Bats will host the 2028 National Championship in Austin. For the upcoming season, the team will play 20 games, including 11 home games, with tickets priced at $10.

An advanced manufacturing facility in Austin, an elementary school in Leander and a LongHorn Steakhouse in Hutto are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Project Toaster ($100 million): This project involves civil site development and construction of a core-and-shell building for Project Toaster, an advanced manufacturing facility.

2. Project Phantom ($60 million): This project involves the construction of a 285,000-square-foot warehouse with associated site improvements and parking.

3. Elementary School No. 31 ($56 million): Leander ISD plans to open its new elementary school in August 2028.

4. LongHorn Steakhouse ($3.8 million): A new LongHorn Steakhouse location is coming to Hutto, with construction set to wrap up in August.

5. CARTS Bastrop Park & Ride Expansion ($1.5 million): This project involves a parking lot expansion, EV charging stations, a bike-share pod, landscaping and miscellaneous site improvements for the existing bus station.

Texas environmental regulators have continued processing certain data center permits in the month since Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a permitting pause, according to a new report from FracTracker, an oil and gas watchdog group.

The details: Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality last month to "halt all permits sought by data centers" while the Electric Reliability Council of Texas audits proposed projects.

Yet as of Oct. 16, the TCEQ had moved at least 35 data center-related applications forward, per an analysis of TCEQ records.

Zooming in: The agency has issued public notices for three data center projects since Abbott ordered the pause Sept. 21. It also approved stormwater coverage, certified air emissions limits or assigned engineers to other projects.

"No permits have been approved," Andrew Mahaleris, the governor's press secretary, said Oct. 20. "In line with the governor’s directive, TCEQ has not taken and will not take any proactive actions related to the approval of data center permits."

"These actions do not signal an agency trying to pause," FracTracker said in the report.