The Alamo celebrated the completion of the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum’s structural frame with a topping out ceremony, which is the placing of the final steel beam, March 25.

The details: The Alamo Visitor Center and Museum is an adaptive reuse of the historic Crockett and Woolworth buildings located across from the Alamo Church. The roughly 160,000-square-foot building will house over 5,000 artifacts and be divided into eight galleries, including the Indigenous Peoples, Mexican Rule, Texas Revolution and Civil Rights Era Galleries. Additionally, the center will have a 4D theater and a 700-person event space, with a wraparound terrace overlooking the church building.

The background: The Alamo Visitor Center and Museum is part of the $550 million Alamo Plan, a series of projects that seek to tell the larger story of Texas history. The plan includes reestablishing the original 4 1/2-acre footprint, the Alamo Promenade, the Texas Cavaliers Education Center and a pedestrian mall.

A local Tex-Mex chain continues its expansion in the San Antonio area, adding a new location near Balcones Heights.

In case you missed it: Tia’s Taco Hut officially opened its 16th area location in the metro on March 2, according to a Facebook post from the business.

It’s located at 4519 Fredericksburg Road in Balcones Heights, across the street from Wonderland of the Americas.

It’s one of seven locations in northern San Antonio—according to previous reporting from Community Impact, another location opened in the Stone Oak area on Sept. 16 of last year at 3643 Evans Road, Ste. 101.

The specifics: Tia’s Taco Hut serves up traditional San Antonio-style Tex-Mex, from all-day breakfast tacos and burritos to parrilladas and enchilada plates, according to the menu.

There’s also an American section on the menu with specialty burgers, sandwiches and chicken tenders at some locations.

Classic breakfast plates like huevos rancheros and huevo a la Mex are also up for grabs.

• 4519 Fredericksburg Road, Balcones Heights

A San Antonio-based senior living facility is getting ready to finish an expansion project that will nearly double its overall capacity.

What’s happening? BeeHive Homes of Crownridge—a senior living facility located in northwest San Antonio—is currently constructing a new building that will double its capacity, Jordan Sikora told Community Impact.

It’s located at 6919 Camp Bullis Road, next to the Pinnacle Montessori school, and is expected to open in June or early July.

The new assisted living center will feature 24 beds—adding to the 16 that were already available prior to expansion, according to its website.

Diving deeper: BeeHive Homes of Crownridge is owned and operated by the Sikora family, according to their website. The company was incorporated back in 2018, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The new facility will feature several new amenities:

• Private rooms

• Shared dining and community areas

• Wide hallways

• Barrier-free design

According to their website, the facility will be an alternative for those who prefer smaller nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

• 6919 Camp Bullis Road, San Antonio

From zoo updates to Q&A’s with mayoral candidates, check out the 10 top-read stories across the San Antonio area from March 23-27.

1. Gorillas settle into new San Antonio Zoo exhibit marking the return of gorillas after 35 years
2. Outback Steakhouse closes in Northeast San Antonio after 25 years
3. Locally-owned senior living facility doubles in size with expansion project
4. Q&A: Meet the candidates running for New Braunfels mayor
5. New Braunfels housing development faces setback as rezoning motion fails
6. Anthony’s opens food truck in Cibolo
7. Pawn shop changes name following new ownership in New Braunfels
8. Q&A: Learn more about the candidates running for Live Oak mayor
9. Q&A: Meet the candidates running for New Braunfels City Council District 5
10. Check out 6 of the latest permit filings in the San Antonio Area

In the nine months until Texas’ 90th legislative session begins in January, state lawmakers are expected to hold information-gathering hearings on hundreds of topics that will lay the groundwork for next year’s policymaking.

During a March 27 legislative summit in New Braunfels, four longtime lawmakers shared some of their top priorities for next year.

What they're saying: The legislators said they were focused on furthering some projects from previous legislative cycles, including water preservation initiatives and a new education savings account program.

More details: They said they also intend to study data center operations and how the large facilities impact local water supplies, noting that the legislature will work with local officials to determine how much data center regulation should happen locally and when the state should step in. 

“Does the state need to be involved? Yes,” Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, said. “Does local government need to have a say? Yes. But we’ve also got to remember, so does the private taxpayer. So we need to get a combination of all three.”