St. David’s Foundation announced it will award grants totaling $40.1 million to Central Texas organizations focused on delivering economic stability services, including income support, food security and healthcare access.

The overview: The foundation launched its We All Benefit 2.0: Building Economic Stability funding opportunity in March to invest in local organizations. From the 169 organizations that submitted a letter of intent, 39 will receive grant funding.

The foundation determined that providing funding support to organizations with expertise in public benefit systems and existing connections to marginalized communities will help increase the number of in-need citizens enrolled in service programs.

The organizations receiving grant funding will support community members beyond service enrollment, ensure they understand the full offerings of their programs and provide immediate support as citizens are going through the process of enrolling.

The need: More than 40% of residents in Central Texas facing food insecurity do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, according to a St. David's Foundation news release.

The third H-E-B grocery store location in San Marcos celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 6. The store’s official opening is Oct. 7.

The overview: Community leaders and H-E-B executives celebrated the 114,000-square-foot store’s opening. The location will create over 400 jobs and increase food access for residents on the east side of I-35.

Diving deeper: H-E-B made sizable donations to three local organizations, including the San Marcos CISD Education Foundation, Hays County Food Bank and Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. Each organization received $10,000.

Additionally, the company planted native trees that provide shade, enhance outdoor learning and benefit students, families and wildlife for San Marcos High School. The planting was part of H-E-B’s Trees for Texans initiative.

What’s offered: The third San Marcos H-E-B features the city’s first True Texas BBQ restaurant, groceries, a full-service bakery and tortilleria, Sushiya hand-rolled sushi, a pharmacy with drive-thru services, and much more.

• Opened Oct. 7

• 1074 E. McCarty Lane, San Marcos

A data center in Hutto, additions to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Bastrop are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Skybox Hutto 4 ($550 million): This project involves site improvements and construction of a new core and shell building with a future use as a data center.

2. Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter addition ($14 million): New additions are coming to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, including first floor kennels second floor office space.

3. Menchaca Apartments ($13 million): This project involves the construction of a clubhouse for apartments in Austin.

4. Dick's Sporting Goods ($11 million): A 55,000-square-foot store is coming to Bastrop.

5. Gringo's Tex-Mex ($5 million): The Tex-Mex franchise is coming to Kyle.

After COTALAND officials debuted more than 30 rides and attractions for people of all ages during events Sept. 26-27, officials are looking ahead to a planned water park and on-site resort as part of Circuit of the Americas' push to grow its year-round offerings.

Zooming in: To fund the next phase, COTA officials entered into a partnership with investment firm Carlyle, according to an Aug. 24 announcement.

The financing amount was not disclosed; however, officials noted in the release that the partnership will not change COTA’s ownership structure and the venue will remain locally owned and operated.

The background: The idea for a water park has been floated before, with COTA Chairman Bobby Epstein telling Community Impact in 2025 that the project could follow COTALAND if demand supported further expansion.

The Carlyle agreement now brings financial backing to that plan.