Austin will soon allow more small-scale business operations out of residents' homes under a new commerce plan advanced by City Council this spring.

What residents should know: Labeled the “Strong Local Commerce” initiative, the proposal from council member Natasha Harper-Madison opens the door to what her office called “micro-scale” neighborhood storefronts. The city's move comes months after state legislation loosened some regulations on home-based business and food operations. It also follows council action last year to encourage cafe operations in communities.

Going forward: Small home-based businesses would still be subject to some adjusted city development standards. To start, Austin will run a one-year evaluation to monitor how the commercial program impacts certain neighborhoods before it potentially widens to more locations. A city task force will also be formed to support streamlined business permitting and track program outcomes.

The South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is officially shutting down March 31 after less than a decade in operation.

The details: The auxiliary terminal is being demolished to make way for new midfield taxiways as part of the multiyear "Journey with AUS" campus expansion. That includes the addition of the 26-gate Concourse B with a new connecting tunnel to the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal, and the development of a temporary six-gate southern terminal called Concourse M.

The South Terminal was initially expected to have a longer presence at ABIA, and its early closure led to costly legal proceedings between the city and former facility operator LoneStar Airport Holdings.

What else: Ahead of the South Terminal closure, Austin Aviation unveiled its initial designs for the nearly 38,000-square-foot Concourse M. Its gates on the west side of ABIA's airfield are meant for relief and diversions during Journey with AUS construction as the Barbara Jordan Terminal is expanded and improved, and while Concourse B remains in development.

From high school sports amenities to more parks and stores, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Titan NorthPark IX in Georgetown ($18 million): A 281,213-square-foot warehouse shell building will be built.

2. West Bastrop Village Pond Park ($2.6 million): The 106,000-square-foot park will offer sidewalks, athletic courts, playgrounds and open green space.

3. Gattis Retail Center Bldg 2 and 3 in Round Rock ($2.4 million): Developers will build two shell buildings on a roughly nine-acre tract of land as part of a future retail center.

4. Hendrickson HS Turf Field & Pond Design in Pflugerville ($2 million): Hendrickson High School will replace its existing baseball and softball fields with artificial turf fields. The project will feature a new drainage system and modification of the existing detention pond.

5. Eldorado Expansion in Austin ($1.5 million): Eldorado Cafe will add 4,402 square feet in restaurant space after becoming the tenant of an adjacent suite.

A planned Prologis industrial development along the Brushy Creek corridor in Cedar Park is moving forward as demand grows for logistics and manufacturing space in the northwest Austin region.

What we know: Prologis’ Northwest Depot project, located near US 183, spans about 75 acres and is expected to bring roughly 786,000 square feet of industrial space across multiple buildings—the project will be developed in phases. The site has completed predevelopment work and is “ready to break ground,” according to a representative of the company.

What else? Cedar Park officials say the development reflects broader growth trends and helps address a gap in available industrial space. Arthur Jackson, the city’s chief economic development officer, said the project will help the city compete for companies that need flexible or custom-built space. At full buildout, the development could support hundreds of jobs, with the potential to exceed 1,000 jobs if higher-density users occupy the space, though totals will depend on the types of companies that ultimately locate there, Jackson said.