Opened over 15 years ago, Phil Hardberger Park has transformed from a former dairy farm into one of the most popular parks in San Antonio.
Melissa Kazen, executive director of the Phil Hardberger Conservancy, said thousands of residents use the park each week.

The big picture: Composed of approximately 330 acres, Kazen said Phil Hardberger Park is close in size to Brackenridge and Eisenhower parks, but larger than most neighborhood parks in the city, and includes approximately eight miles of trails.

Diving in deeper: On top of the trail network, Phil Hardberger Park offers multiple spaces for residents to play and relax in. This includes two main playgrounds, known as the red playground and the blue playground; as well as two 2.5-acre dog parks located on opposite ends of the park.

Stay tuned: As a way to preserve the history of the Voelcker farmhouse complex, the conservancy is currently restoring the old dairy barn, which includes a new ADA-accessible pathway and restrooms. Kazen said the project is expected to be completed in June.  

This discount upscale retailer has announced plans for nationwide store closures, including right here in San Antonio at The Rim.

Latest update: Saks Global, the parent company of Saks OFF 5th clothing stores, announced plans to close the majority of its retail locations in a Jan. 29 news release.

The Saks OFF 5th location at 5819 Worth Parkway at The Rim in San Antonio began a closing sale on Jan. 31 and will permanently close once all inventory is liquidated.

"As we advance on Saks Global's transformation, we are taking decisive steps to realign our business to better serve our luxury customers and drive full-price selling across our core luxury businesses," Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the CEO of Saks Global, said in the release.

Approximately 23 stores officially closed for good on Feb. 2, including locations in Dallas and Grand Prairie.

The context: Saks OFF 5th offered a selection of discounted designer clothing, shoes and accessories.

• 5819 Worth Parkway, San Antonio

Read about the businesses that have recently opened and are coming soon in Northeast San Antonio.

Coming soon
Sprouts Farmers Market
The organic grocer was issued a site development permit from the city of Cibolo for a new 23,000-square-foot location. Sprouts Farmers Market sells a range of meats and organic produce.

• Opening TBD
• 18000 I-35, Cibolo

• Opened Jan. 9
• 18476 I-35 N., Ste. 500, Schertz

• 11730 Lost Meadows, Schertz

This local club soccer training program is taking the next steps in expansion with the opening of a brand new practice facility on the city’s Northeast side.

In case you missed it: Overtime Training—led by former professional soccer player Devin Vega—is currently building a new practice facility at 10405 S. I-35 frontage road at the corner of Thousand Oaks Drive. It’s taking over the previous home of Full Out Xtreme Cheer.

As of publication time, Vega has not released any specific opening timeframe, but construction is currently underway at the facility, according to a recent Instagram announcement.

What’s special about it? Overtime Training focuses mainly on youth soccer training and development of core skills for those looking to compete at high levels.

A range of classes and workshops for each age group is available every week, according to Vega’s Instagram page. Monthly memberships are available in differing tiers for interested athletes.

• 10405 S. I-35 frontage road, San Antonio

Texas families can soon apply to receive state funds for private education or homeschooling under the state’s new education savings account program, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts.

What's happening: The application opens at 9 a.m. Feb. 4 and is designed to be completed in about 15 minutes, according to the state comptroller’s office. Families can apply through 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Parents must submit information about their family's residency, household income, their children's educational history and each child's special education status, if applicable.

The details: To be eligible for the program, students must:

• Reside in Texas
• Be U.S. citizens or lawful residents
• Be eligible to attend a Texas public school, open-enrollment charter school or pre-K program

Two Democratic candidates are running to lead the Texas General Land Office in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Benjamin Flores and Jose Loya are vying for the Democratic nomination for Texas land commissioner. The winning Democratic candidate will face Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving as land commissioner in January 2027.

Buckingham, who is seeking a second four-year term as land commissioner, is running uncontested in the Republican primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state lands, with duties such as allocating disaster recovery funds, leasing state lands to generate revenue for the state's Permanent School Fund, preserving state landmarks such as the Alamo and overseeing several veterans programs. It is Texas’ oldest state agency, according to its website.