ATX-CPF: Impact 10/15/2025

Cedar Park’s new Trader Joe’s grocery store is set to break ground this January, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The TDLR filing shows that the $5.7 million development is slated to begin construction Jan. 1, with an estimated completion date of October 2027. At present, there is no firm timeline for when the store will open.

The background: The highly anticipated new development has been in the works since late 2024. In March, Cedar Park City Council approved a rezoning measure to allow the 12,166-square-foot grocery store to be constructed at the southwest corner of East Whitestone Boulevard and Arrow Point Drive.

Meet the owner: Marianne Hakanson has been dancing since she was three years old, with a particular interest in modern and contemporary styles. She opened M.A. Dance Project in 2004 to bring the love of dance to Cedar Park. 

The framework: The studio offers creative movement, ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip-hop and musical theater classes. It also houses Impact Dance Company and Artists Ensemble for additional opportunities. 

One more thing: Students can enroll in classes online. The studio offers evening and morning classes, which are available for drop-in or on a monthly payment schedule. 
 

Emergency cleanup crews will finish the ongoing debris removal operations in Williamson County in mid-December, County Emergency Management Director Bruce Clements said at an Oct. 14 meeting.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency funded the cleanup following the July 4 weekend floods, which damaged many Central Texas cities, including Leander, Georgetown and Liberty Hill.

What’s being done: Grapple trucks filled with materials like tree branches, vegetation, soil and rocks have been transporting the debris to a cleanup site in Williamson County daily. Austin Wood Recycling in Hutto is turning the natural material into mulch, amounting to an area of mulch the size of a football field and over 60 feet deep.

The update: Debris removal must be completed within six months of the disaster, in accordance with FEMA rules, and the county has targeted a completion date for before Christmas, Clements said.

Opening a small business like a cafe or coffee truck within Austin neighborhoods could soon be made easier under reforms requested by City Council this fall.

The details: A measure from council member Ryan Alter approved Oct. 10 calls to "minimize barriers to and encourage accessibility of" launching community-oriented coffee shops in residential areas. Alter cited the lack of such walkable places around Austin today as a reason he hopes to promote more businesses closer to residents' homes.

Officials' October vote is just the first step in the process and kicks off a review by city planners that could last up to a year. Alter's approved resolution calls for any regulatory changes or other updates to be made by early December 2026.

Quote of note: "I’ve visited a number of cities where you just walk out and have the ability to, let’s say, go to a little cafe or something. And that’s a positive experience," he said.