Several businesses opened in April in The Woodlands area, including on Gosling, Kuykendahl, and Sawdust roads, and FM 1488.

Apricot Lane Boutique now open in The Woodlands Crossing
The store's official grand opening will happen the weekend of May 15, owner Lisa Crawford said.
The boutique offers a variety of trendy clothing online and in-store.

• Opened April 30
• 10720 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. C1, The Woodlands

• Opened April 24
• 3905 FM 1488, Ste. 100, Spring

A Skin Laundry location opened The Woodlands at One Lakes Edge on April 24, according to information from the company.

What they offer: The business offers laser skin resurfacing, facials, peels and other treatments as well as memberships.

• Opened April 24
• 1950 Hughes Landing Blvd., The Woodlands

The MakerBarn is set to celebrate its 10-year anniversary June 6 from 1-4 p.m. in Magnolia.

The details: The nonprofit makerspace began in June 2016 in a horse barn with about 35 members, which is how it got its name. Since then, The MakerBarn has grown to more than 350 members, President Kathy Barbieri said.

What they offer: The MakerBarn gives members access to tools and equipment for a wide range of hands-on projects, including woodworking, metalworking, ceramics, 3D printing and laser engraving. The space is fully volunteer-run and also supports community projects while encouraging creativity among its members, Barbieri said.

How it started: George Carlson, Greg Radliff and Jeanie James founded The MakerBarn, and Barbieri said the organization remains grateful for their vision and drive in creating the makerspace.

• 28030 FM 2978, Ste. 204, Magnolia

Demolition of the vacant Northwest Mall is underway within the Hwy. 290 and Loop 610 corridor, the site for a proposed train station that would offer high-speed travel between Houston and Dallas, a project spokesperson confirmed with Community Impact.

What we know: Demolition began in mid-April and is expected to take approximately 12 months, the spokesperson said. The historic mall opened in 1968 but shuttered its doors in 2017, causing the building to sit abandoned for nearly 10 years.

The spokesperson did not answer questions regarding the approval process for the proposed high-speed rail project, which has not received an official green light, or a timeline for any construction beyond the demolition.

Some context: Texas Central, which has since rebranded to Texas High Speed Rail, originally led the project as a privately-funded venture, Community Impact previously reported. Amtrak then temporarily joined the project after receiving a $63.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

However, the federal government pulled the grant last year due to ballooning costs, pushing the project back to the private sector. 

René Galvan was appointed the new CEO and president of the Houston Association of Realtors in February, as previously reported. Galvan succeeded Bob Hale, who retired Jan. 31. In an interview with Community Impact, Galvan discussed his background, what HAR does and the real estate market in the Greater Houston area. 

More details: Some of the questions asked by Community Impact include: 

• Broadly speaking, what does the Houston Association of Realtors do, and how do Realtors and buyers interact with HAR?
• When it comes to the housing market in the Greater Houston area, what trends are you seeing?
• What factors, economic or otherwise, do you see affecting the Houston housing market?