The San Marcos City Council approved a cost-sharing agreement with multiple developers in May 2024 to fund a new water reclamation facility, located in the city’s growing south side.

The project has seen recent progress in the design phase and is slated to begin construction in October, according to agenda documents.

The gist: The FM 1978 Water Reclamation Facility project will allow the city to avoid developing multiple small wastewater package plants throughout the area and upstream of the San Marcos River, according to agenda documents.

The new facility will initially treat 2 million gallons per day and have the capacity to be expanded to treat 8 million gallons per day. The project is utilizing a unique development strategy that will deliver the facility’s design and construction faster and with more cost certainty, according to agenda documents.

Looking forward: The project’s total budget is $120 million. Construction on the project is expected to begin in October and be completed in September 2028, according to agenda documents.

From major opening at the outlets to new Texas State University dining options, business in San Marcos leaves a lot for residents to discover. Check out 13 new business updates from the city.

Now open
Just a Closet Self Storage

• 4508 Hwy. 123, San Marcos

Sephora

• San Marcos Premium Outlets, 3939 S. I-35, San Marcos

Thirsty Planet Brewing Company

• 110 E. Martin Luther King Drive, San Marcos

Coming soon
Tejas Birria

• 119 E. Hutchinson St., San Marcos

Southbound Social

• 119 E. Hutchinson St., San Marcos

What’s next—filings made with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
O’Reilly’s Auto Parts

• The intersection of Hwy 123 and Rattler Road, San Marcos

Albert B. Alkek Library

• 601 University Drive, San Marcos

Qdoba

• 100 W. Wood St., San Marcos

Jimmy John's

• 614 N. Guadalupe St., San Marcos

Relocation
Godfrey Learning Academy

• 20075 San Marcos Hwy., San Marcos

In the news
LBJ Museum of San Marcos

• 131 N. Guadalupe St., San Marcos

Brunello Cucinelli

• 3939 N. I-35, Ste. 1235, San Marcos

Closings
Senza Maeso

• 1090 FM 32, San Marcos

Check out six ongoing transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Rockride Lane
Project: This work will upgrade Rockride Lane in Georgetown to a two-lane collector roadway with a continuous center left-turn lane and a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along one side from SE Inner Loop to Sam Houston Avenue.
Update: As of February, the contractor had completed work on the west side of the road and began working on the east side. 

• Timeline: 2022-26

• Cost: $12 million

• Funding source: city of Georgetown

William Cannon Bridge
Project: The William Cannon Bridge over I-35 will be blocked off with lane reductions on the main lanes and frontage roads in both directions for the second weekend in a row as part of the I-35 Capital Express South Project. Once completed, the project will feature two high-occupancy-vehicle lanes and a southbound bypass lane. 
Update: The bridge will be blocked off from June 19 at 10 p.m. through June 22 at 5 a.m. 

• Timeline: 2022-28 (total project)

• Cost: $548 million (total project)

• Funding source: Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, TxDOT

Dr. Akshay Yadhati, a surgeon with Austin Regional Clinic, performed two different high-tech spine surgeries this year that were both Austin-area firsts, according to a spokesperson for the medical group. Yadhati spoke to Community Impact about the procedures and what they mean for spine care in Central Texas.

The overview: Yadhati performed a robotic navigated spinal interbody fusion on an adult patient and an endoscopic spine surgery. Both techniques are significant steps forward in spinal care, he said, because they improve the safety and accuracy of the surgeries and minimize invasiveness and recovery time.

Why it matters: “If I were dealing with [these problems], these are the techniques I would want done on my back,” Yadhati said. “That’s the main theme that I try to anchor a lot of my decisions in. If I’m the patient, or my mom, dad, brother or wife is the patient, how do I want them to be going through a surgery?”

As the 2026-27 school year nears, the number of people selected to participate in Texas’ education savings account program has topped 100,000.

The overview: To date, just over 102,000 students have been accepted into the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, which gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them.

However, being awarded funds does not mean a student is guaranteed to be able to use that money at a participating private school this fall.

Zooming in: Over 2,600 private schools have been approved to accept TEFA funding, per the state comptroller's office. State law does not require schools participating in the program to accept all interested families.

Next steps: Families accepted into the program have until July 15 to do one of the following:

• Confirm enrollment at a private school involved in the program
• Notify the state of their homeschooling plans
• Opt out of the program