The Hutto City Council was presented with design plans for a new justice center and moved forward by designating a construction manager at risk to provide a guaranteed maximum price for the project at its July 16 meeting.

The background: In a July 2025 meeting, Hutto Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough said the department’s current facility was built in 2002 to accommodate a much smaller population.

What happened: The proposed $42 million facility includes a primary police headquarters at 45,360 square feet, a secondary support building and space for future expansion to accommodate the city's growth. Council members reviewed the architectural layout, which features specialized areas for forensics, evidence storage and a 911 dispatch center.

The proposed facility will be located at Limmer Loop and County Road 132.

Next steps: If approved, the bond would result in an estimated tax increase of about $45 per year for a home with an appraised value of $100,000, according to the city.

Construction would tentatively begin April 1, 2027, with substantial completion Aug. 31, 2028.

The Austin Community College board of trustees held a public hearing July 16 regarding the potential annexation of Pflugerville ISD into its taxing district.

What's happening? In June, the ACC board unanimously accepted a petition from Pflugerville residents seeking to place the annexation item on the November ballot. If approved, students living within the district's boundaries would be able to access ACC's in-district tuition rates and other opportunities.

Sorting out details: ACC's current tax rate is $0.1034 per $100 taxable value. ACC also provides a homestead exemption of the greater of 1% or $5,000, along with a $75,000 exemption for seniors and homeowners with disabilities and a tax freeze for senior and disabled residents in the year they qualify. Based on current rates and the average PfISD home value of $407,524, residents could expect an additional $416 annually under the regular homestead exemption, $339 annually under the senior/disabled exemption, or $421 annually for commercial property.

What to expect: The ACC board could call for the election at its Aug. 17 meeting. 

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro. 

Ongoing projects

Burnet Road Mobility Program
Project: The project will feature updated traffic signals, improved crossings, bus stop improvements, trail connections, drainage improvements, shared-use paths and more on Burnet Road from White Horse Trail to US 183 (C2), Bright Verde Way to MoPac (C3) and US 183 to Bright Verde Way (C4).
Update: According to Austin Transportation and Public Works officials, all three segments are officially under construction as of early June. 

• Timeline: 2026-28
• Cost: $64 million
• Funding source: 2016 Mobility Bond

• Timeline: March 2023-early 2029
• Cost: $606 million
• Funding source: funded by Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Texas Department of Transportation

A new arena football team is slated to make the Austin area its home, beginning its first season in spring 2027 as a member of the Indoor Football League, or IFL, team owner Vivi Lin told Community Impact. The team, which will be known as the ATX Draft, is “seriously considering” establishing its base of operations at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Lin said.

The details: The team is in talks with the H-E-B Center and has received strong support from local leaders, including Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin and Chief Economic Development Officer Arthur Jackson, Lin said. She added that the team will focus on community engagement and aims to give fans more access than a typical professional sports team.

“We designed a lot of our resources and impact in the community to strengthen the families, develop leaders, create economic opportunities for local businesses and ultimately just to serve the Greater Austin community,” Lin said.

What's next: The team will share more details at a media launch event Aug. 5, Lin said.