Downtown Tomball is entering what Tomball Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Kelly Violette called “an exciting period of investment,” but the changes ahead are bringing as many questions as there are possibilities.

The overview: Residents have already raised concerns about parking, traffic, project costs and preserving downtown’s history as plans for Legacy Square, which sits at the former First Baptist Church campus, continue. Violette said TEDC has heard those concerns and is taking a slower, more deliberate approach.

A closer look: While downtown’s smaller projects are already visible, its largest transportation change—which falls along Main Street—is still being designed.

Also of note: Legacy Square may be part of downtown’s future, but Violette said the project is not as far along as residents may think.

The takeaway: TEDC is seeking demolition estimates for buildings it may remove, so “the community may start to see some activity,” Violette said.

Tomball City Council and the Tomball Economic Development Corporation got a look at TEDC’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget during an Aug. 3 joint workshop, with much of the conversation centered on future downtown projects, parking and how much money should be set aside before plans are finalized.
The meeting was held as a workshop, and no formal votes were taken.

The overview: TEDC Executive Director Kelly Violette presented a FY 2026-27 budget built around roughly $33.9 million in available resources. That includes a projected beginning fund balance of about $26.2 million, $6.5 million in sales tax revenue—which is represents of 0.5% sales tax collected by the city—$1 million in interest revenue and about $267,000 in lease payments.

What changed: The biggest adjustment came with Tomball Legacy Square, formerly First Baptist Church campus, which is in the early planning phase for a potential arts and performance venue.

Woodforest National Bank announced the appointment of Julie V. Mayrant as president and CEO as of July 15, via a news release.

Headquartered in The Woodlands, Woodforest has locations throughout the Greater Houston area and in the eastern and southern United States as well as several areas in the Midwest.

The backstory: Mayrant previously served as president and chief community banking officer, a role that oversees the bank's retail division. According to the news release, she has strengthened the bank's relationship-based approach to banking as well as worked to expand access to financial services.

Her start with the bank began with its first in-store branch in Conroe, according to the release.

Woodforest now has more than 740 branches in 17 states.

Travelers flying through Houston's William P. Hobby Airport now have a new off-airport parking option with the opening of Hobby Airport Parking on July 13, according to a news release from Paquin Public Relations.

What you need to know: Located 2.5 miles from the airport, the new facility offers uncovered and covered parking, along with complimentary shuttle service, according to the release.

There are several events happening in The Woodlands area this weekend, Aug. 6-9, including movies on the lawn, Church Project’s back-to-school event and Rock the Row. Events are subject to change.

Movies on the Lawn
The Woodlands Mall is continuing its outdoor movie series on the lawn in the courtyard. Families will have a chance to grab dinner and relax over a movie in one place on Aug. 6, for "Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie."

• Aug. 6; 7-9 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands

Live shows at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion has a series of events happening this weekend including John Mellencamp on Aug. 6, Toto on Aug. 7, The Black Crowes on Aug. 8 and Ne-Yo and Akon on Aug. 9.

• Aug. 6-9; times vary by concert

• Admission price varies

• 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.