SATX-NBF: Impact 10/9/2025

Renovations to The Faust Hotel—located in downtown New Braunfels at 240 S. Seguin Ave.—are nearing completion.

Project overview: The boutique hotel, which closed for renovations in November 2023, will now have 45 guest rooms instead of 63. The decrease in rooms is the result of increasing the room sizes between 100 square feet and 125 square feet, Molly Egan, the hotel's director of sales, said.

Each room will be furnished with king beds and fully renovated bathrooms in each unit. The hotel's ballroom will have space for up to 110 guests. The hotel will also feature a bar and patio and offer valet parking.

The Faust Hotel is expected to reopen in the spring of 2026, hotelier Andy Duettra said.

Following its October closure, New Braunfels bar and live music venue Billy's Ice is making a comeback at a new location, under a new name later this fall.

What we know: Billy’s Ice closed its doors at 1193 Loop 337 in early October after Owner Bob Wilson sold the location, as previously reported by Community Impact. Now, the business is reopening at 6390 FM 1102 under the name Bobby's Ice. 

Bobby's Ice has plans on opening within a few weeks, according to a Facebook post. 

• 6390 FM 1102, New Braunfels

As part of the ongoing Loop 1604 North Expansion project, the Texas Department of Transportation has opened a new flyover ramp at the Loop 1604 and I-10 interchange Oct. 5.

This flyover ramp will provide a connection from westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 1604.

The gist: According to a news release from TxDOT, this is the fifth flyover ramp to open in the last 10 months.

According to the news release, drivers will be able to access the flyover ramp on I-10 past UTSA Boulevard and will be able enter Loop 1604 after Lockhill Selma Road. All eight flyovers are expected to be open by the end of 2026.

The background: Once complete, the five-level interchange will consist of eight flyover ramps, roundabouts, an HOV lane and other interchange improvements.

The fourth and fifth levels will include the eight flyover ramps, which will provide higher speed connections between Loop 1604 and I-10, according to the release.

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families