The city of Hutto plans to reopen Fritz Park this May after a renovation project wraps up.

The overview: Fritz Park has been undergoing renovations as part of the city’s capital improvement plan. The project, which cost around $11 million stemming from a 2018 voter-approved parks bond, includes the addition of an all-wheels pump track and improved facilities.

Once open, residents will find an expanded splash pad as the Texas weather begins to heat up. Fritz Park will also feature new playground equipment, walking trails and expanded parking.

City officials expect significant increase in use once the park reopens. Fritz Park could see more than 100,000 visitors during the remainder of 2026, nearly double recent annual attendance levels, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

A new dental practice, Aria Smile, has opened in Pflugerville, offering a range of general, cosmetic and specialized dental services.

Read all about it: The practice is led by Dr. Adelina Petrova. The office provides services including family dentistry, cosmetic procedures, restorative treatments and emergency care. Available treatments include dental exams and cleanings, teeth whitening, veneers, dental implants, root canal therapy, wisdom teeth extractions and full-mouth rehabilitation.

The clinic also offers sleep apnea treatment, laser dentistry and Botox services.

Aria Smile is equipped with advanced dental technology designed to improve diagnostics and patient experience, including 3D imaging, digital X-rays, intraoral scanning, and in-house milling for same-day crowns and bridges.
Additional technology includes 3D printing for custom dental appliances and soft tissue lasers for less invasive procedures.

Staying local: Aria Smile serves Pflugerville and surrounding communities including Austin, Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown, Cedar Park and Manor.

• Opened March 16

Dell Children’s Medical Center in Central Austin has become the first pediatric hospital to provide bone marrow transplants, also known as stem cell transplants, in Central Texas.

The impact: The procedure increases the cure rate for pediatric cancer patients, Dell Children’s doctors told Community Impact. The new stem cell transplant program means Austin-area families no longer have to leave Central Texas to receive lifesaving cancer care, said Dr. Amir Mian, the program’s medical director and division chief for pediatric oncology and hematology.

“Previously, everybody had to travel out of town, and what it meant was leaving home for more than a month, sometimes even longer,” Mian said. “Now they don’t have to ... nobody has to leave town just to get lifesaving treatment.”

How it works: The transplant involves removing a patient's bone marrow and replacing older stem cells by administering new stem cells to pediatric cancer patients through an IV, Mian said. The stem cells travel to the patient’s bone marrow and begin producing healthy blood cells that may restore their immune system.

The South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is officially shutting down March 31 after less than a decade in operation.

The details: The auxiliary terminal is being demolished to make way for new midfield taxiways as part of the multiyear "Journey with AUS" campus expansion. That includes the addition of the 26-gate Concourse B with a new connecting tunnel to the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal, and the development of a temporary six-gate southern terminal called Concourse M.

The South Terminal was initially expected to have a longer presence at ABIA, and its early closure led to costly legal proceedings between the city and former facility operator LoneStar Airport Holdings.

What else: Ahead of the South Terminal closure, Austin Aviation unveiled its initial designs for the nearly 38,000-square-foot Concourse M. Its gates on the west side of ABIA's airfield are meant for relief and diversions during Journey with AUS construction as the Barbara Jordan Terminal is expanded and improved, and while Concourse B remains in development.