City Council backed a long-term tax financing plan for infrastructure in the Dog's Head, with added environmental standards and other requirements tied to development in the area.

The details: The creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ, sets up decades of mixed-use development across the more than 2,600-acre Dog's Head. Council's vote for the TIRZ plan July 23 came two months after they annexed the area into city limits and backed the 45-year agreement with landowner Endeavor Real Estate Group.

The district's value is expected to grow by billions of dollars in the years ahead, adding significant tax revenue for the city and potentially Travis County as construction takes place. Under the TIRZ, a share of those collections would be used to reimburse new infrastructure project costs.

The plans were opposed by scores of Austinites at City Hall, with a range of criticisms levels at proposed projects and Endeavor's approach. Officials committed to improved transparency and public outreach as they voted to advance the Dog's Head items July 23.

Kalimotxo is serving up Spanish cuisine and wine in East Austin, offering tapas, pintxos, cocktails and wines. The spot serves as a gray area between a fine dining establishment and a bar, according to the restaurant’s website. 

“There's nothing like it in Austin, and it's really special,” said Rand Egbert, partner and Creative Director at Emmer and Rye Hospitality Group.

On the menu: The menu includes a range of tapas, including oysters, salads, tuna crudo, beef tartare, batatas bravas and cheese churros. Pintxos range from piquillo and cheese tostas, which feature sweet Spanish pepper and goat cheese, as well as the pincho moruno, made with grilled chicken, pomegranate molasses and fried capers.

The backstory: Kalimotxo opened in East Austin in October 2024, informed by Egbert’s appreciation for Spanish cuisine and culture.

Egbert has worked in restaurants his whole life, starting as a dishwasher in high school and later training at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. During culinary school, he studied abroad in Spain. 

• 1813 E. Sixth St., Austin

AutoZone at 5329 N. I-35 is expected to be displaced by the Texas Department of Transportation's $4.5 billion I-35 expansion.

The details: Plans call for a temporary store at 1636 E. 51st St. to open as soon as late October, though nothing is finalized, said AutoZone preconstruction architect Marda Lugar.

A closing date for the I-35 store has not been announced.

• 1636 E. 51st St., Austin

Check out some of the most-read stories from the Austin area July 20-23. 

1. New bridge over Onion Creek opens in Buda, increasing city access

2. Liberty Hill approves $1.5M for preliminary planning of downtown project

3. Sunbird Ranch neighborhood to offer land-lease model for homebuyers 55-plus in Georgetown

4. New Braunfels to conduct full analysis of police headquarters due to structural issues

5. iScream Gelato coming to east Round Rock

6. Lost dogs and e-bikes: 5 stories to know in Bastrop-Cedar Creek