Regency Centers has terminated its lease with Goodwill, which had planned to open a location in Cochran's Crossing, Lauren Bottonari, vice president and market officer with Regency, told Community Impact.

The Woodlands Township’s Development Standards Committee on Nov. 5 had turned down applications presented for a Goodwill store at Cochran’s Crossing Village Center after determining the site, as proposed, would be a warehouse use, which is prohibited at the center.

The backstory: Goodwill and Regency proposed an 8,640-square-foot location at 4747 Research Forest Drive, Ste. 450, The Woodlands, that would include a donation center entrance in the back and space inside the facility for sorting. The site was a former CVS location.

Quote of note: "We appreciate that Regency Centers took the time to listen to and consider the concerns raised by our community regarding the proposed Goodwill store at Cochran's Crossing," said Brad Bailey, chair of The Woodlands Township board of directors.

The education center iCode The Woodlands, offering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics classes and camps for children, will have a new location this spring.

The details: The school is moving from its location at 9595 Six Pines Drive, Level 2, Ste. 8210, to Research Forest Drive, according to information from the business. It will continue to offer classes until the move.

• Relocating in March
• 4526 Research Forest Drive, Ste. 125, The Woodlands

Montgomery County commissioners took a step toward a new countywide transportation roadmap Jan. 15, discussing a mobility study they said will be the first to outline a 10-year plan for the entire county.

The big picture: County Judge Mark Keough said the effort began with obtaining federal funds back in October 2024, followed by a formal request in December 2024. He said the project was then added to the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Unified Planning Work Program—a federally required document that outlines and budgets the region’s transportation planning work—when it was approved in April 2025. Keough said the county issued a request for proposals in September 2025 and awarded the contract to Freese and Nichols in December. 

Keough said the project will kick off in January and is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete. Once finished, he said the county plans to initiate a county thoroughfare plan update.

What residents can expect: The process will include two public meetings in every precinct.

Eat Drink HTX, the sister fundraiser to Houston Restaurant Weeks, will return for its fifth year from Feb. 14 through Feb. 28, according to a Jan. 12 news release from the Cleverley Stone Foundation. 

At a glance: The two-week dining event was designed around the casual dining experience and features lower price points than Houston Restaurant Weeks. While menus won’t go live until Feb. 1, the foundation announced dinner will be priced at $25, with lunch and brunch both priced at $15. 

The local impact: Both Houston Restaurant Weeks and Eat Drink HTX were inspired by Cleverley Stone, the late philanthropist and food correspondent who was passionate about bringing business to restaurants during traditionally slower seasons of the year, according to the release.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Jan. 12-16.

What you need to know: Le Labo is opening in January at Market Street in The Woodlands, officials confirmed. A mid-month opening date is anticipated at the shopping center. 

What else: The Menil Collection in Houston will temporarily close the on-campus bookstore for renovations. In a Jan. 14 news release, officials with the popular art museum announced the on-campus Menil Bookstore will undergo renovations starting in spring 2026. 

Five Republican candidates are running for a six-year term on the Texas Railroad Commission in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Katherine Culbert, Hawk Dunlap, Bo French, James "Jim" Matlock and Jim Wright are vying for the Republican nomination for a seat on the railroad commission. The winning Republican candidate will face Jon Rosenthal in November, and the winner of that election will begin serving on the commission in January 2027.

Rosenthal, a state representative and oilfield mechanical engineer, is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

The context: The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, according to its website, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government.