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Austin launches $3M civic comprehensive plan update
The 30-year civic blueprint Imagine Austin will be undergoing a $3 million update after City Council formally kicked off the comprehensive planning and public engagement process in August.
Austin's city charter calls for ongoing planning efforts, and city leaders first adopted Imagine Austin as a government and community roadmap in 2012. The city's grown and changed since then but the plan hasn't gone through a full revision, leading to the update that's now moving ahead.
Officials funded the update in Austin's budget two years ago. City outreach like public events, surveys and other efforts will take place over the coming months as the new Imagine Austin takes shape. An updated draft plan for the city's next 20 years will be up for resident review in late 2026 or early 2027, to be followed by formal adoption later that year.
The Hive to introduce full cocktail bar, expanding offerings
Southwest Austin coffee shop The Hive is currently renovating its space to bring some new additions for the local community.
What to know: Owner Shelly Weiser said the business is freshening up its main area with the help of business partner Richard Calhoun and general manager Chris Houk.
The area will be welcoming a full cocktail bar and 10 TVs to catch sports games while enjoying a creative drink.
What else? Weiser said current customers can rest assured that the coffee shop will continue serving community favorites and maintain its family-friendly atmosphere.
“The Hive will continue to be your neighborhood spot for great coffee, tasty bites and fun for all ages, now with the bonus of craft cocktails and evening events,” Weiser said.
Renovations at the business are anticipated to be revealed in late October.
Gov. Abbott signs new congressional map; Texas Democrats vow to fight in court
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas’ new congressional map into law Aug. 29, declaring in a video posted to social media that “Texas is now more red in the United States Congress.”
The details: Under Texas’ current congressional boundaries, Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats. State lawmakers have said the new map will help them gain up to five more during the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas Democrats have called the mid-decade redistricting effort unconstitutional and "racially discriminatory," while Republicans asserted that the map "complies with the law" and was designed to help more Republicans get elected to the U.S. House.
Next steps: Texas’ new congressional map is set to take effect in early December, although it will be discussed in court two months earlier. After state senators approved the map Aug. 23, the League of United Latin American Citizens and a group of Texas residents filed a lawsuit asking that the map be found unconstitutional.
A panel of three federal judges will hear arguments in the case Oct. 1-10 in El Paso.
