Several new stores have opened at The Woodlands Mall at 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive this spring and several more are planning to open or see renovations this year, according to mall management. Senior General Manager Ted Harris provided several updates to Community Impact in early June.

Sbarro
The pizza restaurant opened a location at The Woodlands Mall, mall management confirmed.

• Opened May 28

Urban Outfitters
The store is relocating to the former Lane Bryant location in the mall on Level 1. Relocation began April 8, and the store is expected to open in August, mall management said.

• Opening in August

Another detail: The mall also launched its summer family movie series, Movies on the Lawn, on June 4. Free movies are shown on select Thursdays at 7 p.m. According to the schedule, the next movie will be "Finding Nemo" on June 18.

The Woodlands Children’s Museum has announced a new program beginning this summer dedicated to creating more inclusive exhibits for children with sensory processing differences, officials said in a June 1 news release.

About the program: The “Quiet Discovery Hours” initiative seeks to host events that differ from the standard museum environment by eliminating elements children with autism spectrum disorder can find overwhelming, according to the announcement.

What to expect: The first-of-its-kind event series under TWCM’s new initiative is scheduled to take place across three Saturdays over the summer, the release confirmed. The dates and times are June 13, July 18 and Aug. 1 from 9-10 a.m.

Attending guests will be able to participate in their session and peruse the museum for a full hour before it opens to the general public. After transitioning to normal hours, the programming will become come-and-go, meaning guests can remain for however long as they would like.

The $8 million project for a four-story Surepoint Self Storage facility is slated to begin work in June and complete in June 2027, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.

What you need to know: The business has several locations across Texas and offers climate-controlled storage, commercial storage, mini offices and premium storage units.

• 9275 Six Pines Drive, Spring

Officials with The Cleverley Stone Foundation, who produce the popular yearly event called Houston Restaurant Weeks, announced June 5 that last year's fundraising event generated over $1.6 million for the Houston Food Bank.

The local impact: Houston Restaurant Weeks is an annual foodie fundraising event across the Greater Houston area that hundreds of restaurants participate in every year. Restaurants that sign up serve specially priced, multi-course prix fixe menus for brunch, lunch or dinner, with a portion of proceeds going toward the Houston Food Bank.

The 2025 event, which was held from August to September, raised $1,651,698. According to the HRW website, every $1 donated equals three meals generated by the Houston Food Bank.

The next chapter: Houston Restaurant Weeks will return this year from Aug. 1 through Sept. 7. Per the release, 350 restaurants are expected to participate in 2026 across Houston, Sugar Land, Galveston and The Woodlands.

In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2127, a sweeping regulatory measure designed to prevent cities and counties from adopting local ordinances that conflict with various sections of state law. Three years later, there is confusion about what local governments can and cannot do under the law.

The background: At the time, some legislators and other proponents of the bill said it would ensure consistency among Texas cities, citing ordinances passed by “liberal blue cities” that they said made it hard to run a business. Opponents of HB 2127, including some local leaders, said the law would prevent cities from addressing residents’ needs while undermining local worker safety provisions and nondiscrimination ordinances.

What's happening: During a June 4 hearing, the law’s critics said it has had a “chilling effect” on some local actions, while those who support the law expressed concerns that cities have not removed ordinances that are preempted by the state.

Ahead of the 2027 state legislative session, lawmakers are considering whether changes are needed to clarify or better enforce the law.