The Austin Transit Partnership continues to seek new office space for its growing workforce as its Austin Light Rail development ramps up.

A final decision on the transit planning organization's next home is now expected as ATP considers its next budget in September, months after officials declined to approve a $32 million luxury office lease downtown amid opposition from Mayor Kirk Watson.

ATP and its partners are working to complete initial plans for the light rail network, train cars and system maintenance facilities before officially starting construction in 2027. The organization is outgrowing its current 32,000-square-foot office at 203 Colorado St., officials said, and are planning for a new home before its lease for that space ends.

As the search continues, some ATP board members said the process must give greater consideration to project risks and taxpayer impacts. A decision on new offices could come in September alongside a vote on ATP's next budget.

Goodies, a specialty home goods store, is launching its first Texas location in Austin next year, according to the brand. The company will be hosting monthly markets around the city until its permanent retail location is ready, it stated on Instagram. 

What they offer: Goodies sells a curated selection of ceramic, marble, wood, scents and woven home goods; each item at Goodies retails for $25 or under. Specific products include woven coasters, candles, wooden cutlery, ceramic vases, dishes and matcha bowls. 

Stay tuned: The Goodies team is still finalizing its lease, the brand shared with Community Impact, and will announce its official location in the future. Until the official storefront launches, Goodies plans to have monthly pop-up markets around Austin. 

The next market is on Aug. 15. The pop-up market will be outdoors, featuring an assortment of vases and catering from Sour Duck Market.

• Location TBD

Little Nishi announced plans to open its first brick and mortar location on Oct. 15 named Nishi, according to a social media post. Along with the expansion will come consolidation, the restaurant’s team explained. On Oct. 1, Little Nishi’s South Congress trailer will close to customers.

Diving in deeper: The Japanese restaurant, founded by Joel Taylor, initially opened in downtown Austin in fall 2023, according to previous Community Impact reporting. In addition to the brand’s South Congress trailer, Austinites can also find Little Nishi’s handrolls and sashimi in North Austin at Teddy’s Bar on Manor Road. 

On the menu: Little Nishi serves up appetizers like seaweed salad, roasted chili edamame and miso soup. The restaurant also offers sashimi, including hamachi, which features yellowtail and toasted sesame, as well as sake toro, made with salmon belly, toasted sesame, sakura powder, roasted garlic and ikura. 

Patrons can also order up temaki, or handrolls, including spicy tuna which is prepared with yellowfin tuna, avocado, honey and seasoned chili puree. 

• 2000 Southern Oaks Drive, Austin 

The Texas House State Affairs Committee heard from power grid officials; data center developers and industry representatives; local government officials; cybersecurity experts; landowners and residents during an Aug. 19 hearing on the growth of data centers.

The details: Some Texans expressed concerns that data center development is happening too quickly and communities do not have enough say in that growth.

"The question is always going to be who pays for this infrastructure as we continue to grow," San Marcos City Council Member Amanda Rodriquez said.

Data center developers, meanwhile, emphasized that they wanted to be “teammates and partners” to residents of the communities they build in.

One more thing: Testimony on data centers was limited to six hours as the committee began discussing plans to build large high-voltage transmission lines from East to West Texas.

"I don't want anybody to think this is our last time that we're going to talk about data centers, or that you’re not going to get another opportunity to talk about data centers," committee chair Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said.