Construction of the Bell District kicked off with the realignment of US 183-Bell Boulevard to expand the area available for development, which was completed in 2022.

The details: Construction of the new Cedar Park Public Library and Bell Park followed. Both opened in late 2024, along with the Backyard, an open gathering space adjacent to the park and library.

The district is being developed through a public-private partnership, in which the city shares costs and responsibilities with private developers, led by master developer RedLeaf. Plans for the Bell District include restaurants, office buildings, apartment buildings with ground-floor retail spaces, and townhomes.

“It’s going to be a really vibrant, exciting place to live,” Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin said.
Today, the library, Bell Park, the Backyard, and the trail along Cluck Creek are open to the public, and see a significant number of visitors. The rest of the Bell District, however, consists primarily of empty lots.

Hints of spices and a blend of unique smells waft across the dining room as a plate of bún bò Huê—a Vietnamese dish—is delivered to a table. Ho’s Kitchen, tucked in the Cypress Creek Town Center along Lakeline Boulevard, features a full menu of traditional Vietnamese classics, including the crowd favorite pho.

A closer look: Owned by Nick Ho, the restaurant is inspired by his family's cooking and his cousin's successful California restaurant. The casual restaurant includes a cozy dining area with a chalk wall backdrop, flexible counter or full-service dining, and a patio for guests who prefer to eat outside.

“So I took a chance at [a restaurant]. Everything in life you have to take a chance at—you don't know if you're gonna succeed unless you try.”

On the menu: At Ho’s, the pho comes with thin noodles, customers' choice of rare meat and hot broth that cooks the meat as it sits. The dish is served with a side of bean sprouts, onions, cilantro, lime and basil.

The Williamson County League of Women Voters will hold a nonpartisan event this weekend to educate the public about voting rights, bringing speakers, workshops and information stations to Round Rock.

In a nutshell: The organization’s Unite & Rise for Voting Rights event will be held Aug. 8 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Rabb House, located at 151 N. A.W. Grimes Blvd., Round Rock.

It is open to all Williamson County residents, but attendees are asked to register ahead of time.

The specifics: The event will have stations where attendees can register to vote, check their registration status and learn more about becoming involved in the local political process.

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.