A Round Rock location of ECHO Suites, an extended-stay hotel owned by Wyndham, will open in the new year.

What you need to know: The hotel brings extended-stay rooms geared towards affordability, according to a Wyndham spokesperson.

The hotel will offer suites with full kitchens, including refrigerators, dishwashers and storage; free wifi and 24/7 laundry facilities; an on-site fitness center; and pet-friendly accommodations.

• 1485 Meister Lane, Round Rock

Round Rock City Council previewed a proposed $360,000 agreement with Chihuly Studio to commission a large-scale glass artwork for the city’s new arts center downtown, ahead of a formal council vote later this week.

In case you missed it: The proposal was presented during City Council’s packet briefing Dec. 16 and would authorize the city to execute an artwork commission agreement with Chihuly Studio for an original blown-glass sculpture by internationally recognized artist Dale Chihuly.

The piece would be installed in the Griffith Building, which will house the future City Arts Center alongside the Round Rock Visitor Center and the Round Rock Chamber.

Communications and Marketing Director Sara Bustilloz told council members the funding for the artwork was already approved in the city’s current budget and would not require new appropriations. She said the artwork would serve as the visual centerpiece of the arts center and described it as the only permanent public Chihuly installation in Central Texas.

Construction on a new Toyota dealership is underway in Hutto after officials broke ground on the business Dec. 11.

The overview: The project, by Penske Automotive Group, will include the construction of a new Toyota dealership as well as a service center.

Hutto City Council approved a planned unit development, or PUD, in August 2024 for the 38.5 acres the dealership will sit on near Hwy. 79 and SH 130. The dealership will be located down the road from a new Sprouts Farmers Market that council approved incentives for earlier this year.

• 2160 Innovation Blvd., Hutto

In 2026, the Texas Children’s Ambassadors Program will be allocating more funds to the Kangaroo Crew, the hospital system’s transport program. One way the hospital will be investing more in the program is by introducing its own helicopter at Texas Children’s North Austin Hospital which is set to arrive in early January.

How we got here: Assistant Clinical Director Kami Stone said the team spent months identifying a location to store the helicopter which would give them the quickest access to their patients at the North Austin hospital. The Kangaroo Crew spent an additional six months training and securing supplies to make sure they would be on track for the January launch date.

How it works: Stone said the helicopter will be used in situations where a patient is too sick to wait for the responders to arrive via ambulance and cases of “surgical and medical emergencies” in which a patient is stable but there is a high risk of something going bad.

• 9835 N. Lake Creek Parkway, Austin