1. 1,205 acres donated for nature preserve in WilCo
In the largest donation received by the Hill Country Conservancy, 1,205 acres given anonymously will open to the public Sept. 23 as a nature preserve. The conservancy is a nonprofit working to balance growth in Central Texas with preservation of natural spaces, such as the Violet Crown Trail in Travis and Hays counties. Once open, the conservancy will offer guided nature hikes, cave talks, bird-watching, and other educational and recreational public events.
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2. ‘World’s first kid's water coaster’ coming to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels
The Bow Wow Blaster, a new attraction Schlitterbahn cites as the “world’s first water coaster for kids,” is coming to the New Braunfels park in 2024. The new water coaster will be part of Schantze’s Storybrook Park, a new area that will include water slides, over 70 interactive water features, spray toys, splash pads and a 1,200-gallon tipping water bucket.
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3. Mueller nears finish line after two decades of development
After nearly two decades of development, the Mueller neighborhood—Central Austin’s largest master-planned community—is nearing completion. The 700-acre stretch of land in Northeast Austin has been transformed from the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport to an eco-friendly development. The community includes dozens of locally owned restaurants and shops, affordable housing, an H-E-B, the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin Energy’s headquarters and a popular Sunday farmers market that brings in hundreds of residents from across town.
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4. Round Rock-based ice cream truck GoGoYumYum brings frozen treats with on-demand model
GoGoYumYum, a Round Rock-based ice cream truck owned by Tani Rosenzweig, began operating in late June under an on-demand model. Rather than the traditional ice cream truck model of trawling area neighborhoods, GoGoYumYum allows customers to request stops in their neighborhoods, at their homes and at community events. Stop requests can be made on the GoGoYumYum website.
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5. New reports examine Austin's high housing costs plus elevated expenses of single-family, west side development
A previous City Council request to examine the bottom line of local housing development has led to a comprehensive accounting of those costs and related proposals for city leaders and staffers to consider. Among analysts' top findings were Austin's standout costs compared to other cities, as well as the competitive local cost of multifamily versus single-family development and the elevated price tag of construction on the west side. Those and other takeaways from the reports echo sentiments many developers, housing advocates and city officials have shared for years—and align with policy changes that are already in the works.
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