Williamson County commissioners purchased 255 acres of land in southeast Georgetown on May 19 to house a new centralized justice center.

The big picture: Located adjacent to the recently opened Williamson County Administration Building and an existing set of county buildings off SE Inner Loop, officials say the nearby facilities will allow for efficient government services. However, some residents said the jail will be too close to schools and neighborhoods.

What's next: Commissioners and county officials are working to determine just how much space and what type of facilities are needed at the justice center, and are touring similar buildings across the county, Williamson County Judge Steve Snell said. The design phase would require commissioners’ approval to begin.

Snell plans to spend more time on public engagement for the project to work through the concerns of residents who live near the site.

“We’re going to make a hundred-year decision right there, and we want to make sure it is the absolute right decision for the county and everyone involved,” Snell said.

As summer comes to a close, several community organizations throughout Georgetown continue to host events.

Check out this noncomprehensive list of a dozen things to do, ranging from theater productions, art shows, back-to-school bashes, fundraisers and outdoor activities.

Blazin’ Beer Crawl
At the self-paced event, attendees taste craft beers inside several downtown businesses. Ticket holders will receive a keepsake tasting glass and a map of participating locations. 

• Aug.1, 1-4 p.m.
• $30 (general admission), $70 (VIP admission)
• Downtown Georgetown

• Aug. 10, 5 p.m.
• $5 (individual), $20 (family pass), donations accepted
• 8701 RM 2338, Georgetown

• Aug. 16, 10 a.m.
• Free (EPIC members), $35 (nonmembers)
• 4200 S. I-35, Georgetown

A new mixed-use neighborhood off Ronald Reagan Boulevard received the green light to move forward with its development timeline.

The Leander City Council voted unanimously July 16 to approve a phasing plan for the Oakmont Ridge development, allowing all 80 single-family lots to be constructed in the same phase.

The details: To comply with city ordinances, the development needed approval from the city to build all 80 in one phase rather than 30 lots at a time.

The subdivision will also construct 135,783 square feet of commercial development in its first phase of construction, covering 36.5 acres. The project’s second and final phase would complete a remaining 43,000 square feet of commercial development. In total, the development would take up a little over 50 acres of land

Other projects: During the same meeting, the city of Leander approved a nearly $587,000 contract to add a traffic light at the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Vista Heights Drive, just south of the planned Oakmont Ridge subdivision.

A Burlington in Kyle, a Fairfield Inn in Bastrop and an AutoZone in Austin are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Burlington ($16.5 million): A new Burlington store is coming to the Kyle Park mixed-use development.

2. Fairfield Inn Staybridge Suites ($10 million): A new 121-key hotel is coming to Bastrop, with construction set to conclude in summer 2028.

3. Slaughter Lane Signal Improvements ($1.2 million): This project includes the installation of accessible pedestrian push-buttons, pedestrian signal poles, and renovation of curb ramps and adjacent sidewalks at 11 traffic signals on the Slaughter Lane corridor.

4. AutoZone ($1.1 million): A new AutoZone location is planned for Austin. The 6,446 square-foot auto parts store is set to begin construction in April.

5. Jersey Mike's ($250,000): A new Jersey Mike's is planned for Cedar Park. The 1,457-square-foot sandwich shop is expected to be completed in October.

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.