A new Petco and Dollar Tree are expected to open in Hutto.

The gist: A new location of the pet supply store as well as the discount variety store are expected to open in Townwest Commons, according to a brochure by commercial real estate agency NewQuest.

What else: The two businesses will be located next to Hooky Entertainment, which opened in May. The companies will join a host of new businesses planning to open in the commercial center, as plans are underway for a new Vietnamese restaurant, a sandwich shop and a new Amy’s Ice Creams.

GOFO Express, a logistics company that provides last-mile delivery services, has opened a new delivery dispatch center in Pflugerville.

What’s special about it: The facility will handle parcels for major e-commerce platforms—including TikTok Shop, TEMU and Shein—as well as other online retailers. Last-mile operations focus on transporting packages from a local distribution point directly to customers’ homes, often within 24-48 hours of leaving a regional warehouse.

A company spokesperson said the Pflugerville site will support delivery routes across Pflugerville, Round Rock, Hutto and portions of North Austin.

A fifth Round Rock data center is under consideration by City Council, with the city's governing body set to vote on a measure rezoning a property near A.W. Grimes and East Old Settlers Boulevard to suit that use Dec. 4. 

What you need to know: Council will consider a measure to rezone 29.69 acres near 2501 E. Old Settlers Blvd. for a Skybox data facility. 

About the project: The proposal for the data center shows that the property itself and others it is adjacent to area zoned for industrial use.

Skybox is asking the city to rezone the property to allow a data center, ultimately dividing it into three sections with different uses to establish what is permitted on different parts of the site, such as a data center, substation and open space.

A dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Dec. 4. The new laws come 90 days after the end of a special legislative session that took place this summer.

The overview: Some of the bills becoming law Dec. 4 include:

• House Bill 8, which will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter exams beginning in fall 2027
• House Bill 18, which is designed to deter future legislators from leaving the Texas Capitol to prevent a legislative chamber from considering legislation, known as breaking quorum
• Senate Bill 54, which will roll back a short-lived rule that allowed registered Texas voters who moved within a county to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct