The Loren Hotel Austin opened a new bar at the historic Paggi House art gallery and event space in late March.

The gist: Aperí at Paggi House serves wine and small bites, offering a pre-dinner aperitivo hour.

On the menu: The bar serves more than 40 bottles of red, white, rose and sparkling wines ranging from $30 to $350.

Patrons can build their own charcuterie boards including Italian meats and cheeses as well as piparra peppers, marinated olives and Marcona almonds. Additionally, the menu features a jamón sandwich, caprese sandwich and croissant with butter.

Also of note: The business is open from 3-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday on the Paggi House patio. The bar will occasionally host special events like oyster and champagne night.

In their own words: "With a beautiful patio, great bottles of wine and good company, it’s the kind of place where we hope our guests can linger the whole afternoon,” said Michael Chin, general manager at The Loren Hotel Austin, in a news release.

• 200 Lee Barton Drive, Austin

Changes to plans for the St. John Site affordable housing redevelopment were approved in March, moving Austin and its building partners closer to groundbreaking on the long-vacant North Central Austin lot.

The details: The city previously acquired a pair of commercial lots at 7211-7309 N. I-35 that were intended to house new public safety facilities. Plans for the 19-acre property in the St. John neighborhood later changed at the request of residents and City Council, who eventually set a new vision calling for the site to become a "mixed-income, mixed-use district."

With updates approved in March, the project moves closer to final site plan approval ahead of groundbreaking. Developer Greystar and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin plan to bring more than 500 apartments to the vacant site—most reserved at affordable rates—alongside expanded parkland and new retail space.

Check out some of the most-read stories in Austin from March 16-19. 

1. 44,000-square-foot indoor sports club headed to Leander, Cedar Park

2. Round Rock outlet mall to get refresh

3. Luxury retailer in San Marcos outlets prepares to close with major sale

4. 320-unit apartment complex coming to Liberty Hill, Georgetown line

5. 'Future of aviation': Air taxi testing coming to Austin under federal pilot program

6. From breakfast to barbecue: Check out these 15 business updates in Southwest Austin

On March 31, Texas’ roughly 9,000 licensed consumable hemp retailers will face sweeping regulations, including a more than 3,000% increase in annual licensing fees and a ban on most smokable cannabis products.

The overview: The new rules, which also include age verification requirements, stricter packaging guidelines and more rounds of product testing, were originally proposed in December. The Texas Department of State Health Services, which regulates the state’s hemp industry, adopted the rules March 2.

The debate: Supporters of the increased regulations previously said they hoped the changes would result in more comprehensive oversight of Texas’ hemp industry and improve consumer safety. 

Some experts said they were concerned the new rules were taking effect too quickly and could lead some hemp businesses to close their doors.

"It is really tragic that these entrepreneurs are being faced with this, especially in a state like Texas that touts being pro-business ... and here we are shutting down businesses and relegating consumers to an illicit market," said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.