City officials appear likely to annex more than 4 square miles of land in East Austin along the Colorado River and support decades of mixed-use development there.

The details: Located just north of the airport between US 183 and SH 130, the area known as the Dog's Head is valued at tens of millions of dollars and covers more than 2,600 acres—more than twice the size of downtown. Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group is now seeking to enter into a 45-year development partnership with Austin that'll lead to the area's build-out with various commercial, residential and other uses, as well as public parkland.

The Dog's Head is currently outside city limits in Austin's unincorporated extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. The full site would be annexed this spring under the development agreement between the city and Endeavor that came together given the project's expansive scope and timeline. Officials seemed generally supportive of the proposal ahead of their initial votes to advance the plan May 21.

Julian Buscicchio and Sebastian Menard expanded French cuisine offerings in South Austin with a new cafe: Alice Poulain. The Parisian-inspired patisserie serves a range of quiches, daily pastries and imported wines and cheeses. 

The cafe’s opening was announced May 14 in a news release.

On the menu: Alice Poulain Café has daytime and evening offerings, including a Parisian breakfast with toast, butter, jam, a croissant, scrambled eggs, orange juice and coffee. Available pastries include pain au chocolat, cinnamon brioche and rotating cakes.

Learn more: Lunch and dinner bites include omelettes, salads, sandwiches and charcuterie spreads. Patrons can order a salade niçoise made with tuna, eggs, green beans, potatoes, olives and vegetables with a vinaigrette. 

• 2214 S. First St., Austin

Austin officials will spend $6 million to renovate the Charles Page Zilker Clubhouse. Years of deterioration and multiple recent break-in incidents have damaged the historic structure.

What's happening: The nearly 100-year-old clubhouse, located in the Zilker Nature Preserve west of MoPac, is situated at Zilker Park's highest point and has traditionally served as an event venue. The property and nearby Lookout Point now require multiple maintenance updates. Security improvements are also needed after a recent string of break-ins that resulted in damage, according to Austin Parks and Recreation.

City Council authorized a $6.07 million contract for the facility and security updates, funded with historic preservation dollars from Austin's hotel occupancy tax revenue. Construction is expected to begin later this year and wrap up in 2027.

Quote of note: “This is a very important moment, not only for protecting the history of the Zilker Preserve and the Zilker Clubhouse, but making it safer and more accessible to all," council member Paige Ellis said.

From a new apartment community in Austin to a trail in Cedar Park, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Pflugerville Business Park ($37 million): This project involves the construction of the shell industrial buildings with speculative office space in each.

2. Oak Hill Highline Phase II ($26 million): Construction on a 129,306-square-foot apartment community will begin in September.

3. Buda Sportsplex Phase I ($15.2 million): A multifaceted expansion and enhancement of the Buda Sportsplex began last summer and will run through September.

4. Lakeline Park to WilCo trail connection and pedestrian bridge ($9.65 million): This project involves the construction of a one-mile trail connecting Lakeline Park to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail, including a pedestrian bridge crossing South Bell Boulevard.

5. Cedar Park Police Department dispatch renovation ($3 million): This project involves approximately 5,000 square feet of office space renovation for the communications center relocation.