Interested in what businesses and renovations are coming to the Tomball and Magnolia area? The following projects have been registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the past few weeks. All information is subject to change.

FM 2978 Business Park

• Location: 28321 FM 2978, Magnolia
• Type of work: new construction
• Timeline: January 2026-July 2026
• Estimated cost: $2.4 million

• Location: 17285 FM 1488, Magnolia
• Type of work: new construction
• Timeline: January 2027-December 2027
• Estimated cost: $2.5 million

• Location: 214 RL Butler St., Magnolia
• Type of work: new construction
• Timeline: June 2026-January 2027
• Estimated cost: $546,600

• Location: 14083 FM 2920, Tomball
• Type of work: renovation/alteration
• Timeline: March 2026-June 2026
• Estimated cost: $275,750

Home Bank opened a new full-service banking center in Tomball on March 16, according to a news release.

What you need to know: The new banking center is Home Bank’s sixth location in the Greater Houston area, joining existing sites in River Oaks, Sugar Land, Friendswood, Webster and Pasadena, according to the release.

The release states the Tomball location follows a six-month renovation that transformed the existing building into a space designed to serve both commercial and retail customers. The site will also serve as a hub for Home Bank’s North Houston commercial banking team, which joined the organization in 2023 under the leadership of North Houston Market President Christy Daniel.

• 27702 Tomball Parkway, Tomball

Harris County workers will now have a seat at the table in discussions about workplace regulations, grievances and salaries after commissioners approved a new policy allowing labor organizations to advocate on behalf of county employees—a first for a Texas county.

At a glance: Commissioners Court passed the Harris County Consultation Policy March 19 in a 3-1 vote, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey as the dissenting voice. Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent during the meeting.

Harris County employees will have the option to select a labor union organization to serve as a “consultation agent” on their behalf. Organizations must receive signatures from 20% of eligible county workers to serve as an agent, County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne said.

Some context: State law bans political subdivisions from entering collective bargaining contracts with labor organizations. However, officials from the county attorney’s office told Community Impact the policy does not violate the statute because it creates a consulting framework, not bargaining rights.

The impact: Approximately 5,200 county employees will be eligible to work with the consultants, officials said. 

Following an hours-long March 19 public hearing, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved the acquisition of 8.9 acres of Hermann Park for the expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, one of only two adult Level I trauma facilities in the county.

The long-awaited vote comes after months of contention about whether or not Harris Health—the county's hospital system—should acquire the land by eminent domain, which grants local governments the legal power to use land for public use.

What happened: Commissioners authorized the condemnation March 19 after Harris Health officials confirmed that no "feasible alternative" exists for the $410 million expansion of Ben Taub's campus.

Why it matters: Ben Taub Hospital consistently operates beyond its 402-bed capacity, and officials expect emergency room demand to increase over the next several years as Harris County's population grows, Community Impact previously reported. Porsa said the hospital's ER regularly suffers from hours-long wait times due to chronic backlogs.

Looking forward: Officials expect to have legal possession of the land within 6-9 months and break ground on the project in late 2027. 

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from March 16-20.

• Fleet Week Houston ship lineup announced
• Photos: Houston officials give HUD Deputy Director tour of new hub for individuals experiencing homelessness
• Houston Methodist announces $104M expansion in Cypress
• Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan to see final round of resident engagement in March
• See when these 9 Greater Houston-area water parks will open for the 2026 season

More than 229,000 students have applied to receive state funds for private education or homeschooling under Texas’ education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office.

By the numbers: State data indicates that the most applications have been submitted on behalf of students living in urban areas and the surrounding suburban communities. As of March 8, students living in Houston ISD’s boundaries led the pack with over 8,900 applications, followed by 6,700 applicants in Dallas ISD.

The data reflects how many students living in each district's boundaries have applied, including those not currently enrolled in a public school.

The background: State lawmakers created the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program in 2025.

Students accepted for the 2026-27 school year will receive $10,474 for private education or up to $2,000 for homeschool. Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each.

More details: Of the first 152,000 program applicants, nearly three-quarters were not enrolled in a public school during the 2025-26 school year, data obtained by the Texas Center for Voucher Transparency shows.