Austin City Council approved a program to provide an economic development incentive to the South Korean genetic testing company 3billion for the company's American branch, which is coming to far northwest Austin near Cedar Park.

Austin City Council voted in favor of the incentive at its Feb. 5 meeting, with council member Ryan Alter voting "no."

The details: The program will award $1,000 to 3billion US for every job the company hires in Austin. In documents provided to City Council, Austin Economic Development staff said they estimate the city will award $200,000 to the company over a 10-year period. The documents said the company will create 200 full-time jobs in Austin with an average salary of $95,000.

Stay up to date with the latest Leander business news—a collection of newly opened, coming soon, relocations and closings.

Now open
Paint Pro
The business repairs and repaints stucco, brick, siding and fascia for homes around the Austin area. The business also pressure washes homes before repainting them.

• Opened in October
• 2500 CR 279, Ste. A-2, Leander

• Grand opening Jan. 24
• 11312 Hero Way West, Ste. 100, Leander

• Anticipated completion in November
• 408 E. San Gabriel Parkway, Ste. 110, Leander

From a Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient facility to a new McDonald’s and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Round Rock: The Department of Veterans Affairs will construct an outpatient facility with a dedicated parking lot for visitors and staff, as well as a service access area in Round Rock.

2. Pflugerville: Two office warehouse buildings, totaling 68,924 square feet, will be built by Workhub Developments to accommodate start-up and flex space for businesses

3. Buda: Illinois-based collision repair provider Crash Champions will build a 15,131-square-foot garage and office space constructed from a pre-engineered metal building.

4. Cedar Park: Another McDonald’s will bring its popular menu items, such as the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder, to the Bell District.

5. Austin: A 6,445-square-foot QuikTrip will soon fuel up South Austin, bringing a full-service pumping station alongside a made-to-order kitchen with grab-and-go options.

In the upcoming March 3 primary elections, Texas voters will have the opportunity to nominate their chosen candidates for the November midterm election. From top state officials to county commissioners, primary elections shape who is ultimately elected to dozens of seats, driving the future direction of the Lone Star State.

Yet less than one-fifth of registered Texas voters participated in recent primary elections, data from the secretary of state’s office shows.

The big picture: March Matters, a group that works to get more Texans to the primary polls, found that 146 of Texas’ 150 state House races were effectively decided during the 2022 primaries, with just four competitive seats during that year’s midterm election.

Data also shows that primary voters tend to be older and represent the more extreme wings of their political parties.

What they're saying: "When primary voter turnout is so small, when only a fraction of voters are voting, your vote counts more,” said Mark Strama, who leads the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas.