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Need to catch up on news from this past week in the Bryan-College Station area? Check out these five stories.
Bryan breaks ground on Midtown Legacy Park
The city of Bryan broke ground on Midtown Legacy Park on May 18, making way for its new destination playground at Travis Bryan Midtown Park.
The all-abilities playground, located along the 300 block of Midtown Boardwalk Way, is designed to serve children and families of all ages.
Bryan’s oldest family-owned restaurant serves up timeless Texas barbecue
The Kapchinskie family wants customers to feel right at home when they step into Martin’s Place, a more than 100-year-old institution in Bryan that serves up barbecue “cooked the old-fashioned way.”
Steve, his wife Betty, and their daughter operate this family business that was founded by Steve’s grandfather in 1925. Steve said his grandfather began working as a butcher and decided to barbecue what meat did not sell. His original shop was constructed in the same location where Martin’s Place stands today on South College Avenue, where, Steve said, his family invites customers to slow down.
College Station eyes new public works facility, recreation center bond vote
College Station City Council’s May 18 meeting was dominated by its workshop agenda, going over two major long-term projects: a new public works facility and a potential recreation center that could ultimately go before voters next year.
Bryan ISD faces deficit amid enrollment drop
After months of financial workshops and planning discussions, Bryan ISD leaders are preparing next year’s budget amid declining student enrollment, limited growth in state funding and rising operational costs.
In a one-on-one conversation with Community Impact, Bryan ISD Chief Financial Officer Norma Friddle said the upcoming budget year is expected to include a projected deficit, but emphasized how the district is working to avoid long-term financial imbalance through staffing adjustments, attendance improvements and spending reviews.
College Station ISD plans cautiously as enrollment declines, state funding uncertainty grows
College Station ISD leaders say the district remains financially stable, but shifting enrollment trends and uncertainty surrounding state funding are leading officials into a new era of cautious budgeting.
District administrators have spent much of the past year tightening operations, reviewing staffing models and preparing for what they described as a slower-growth future for public education in Texas.
During a May 19 budget workshop, trustees reviewed a proposed roughly $155 million general budget for the 2026-27 school year that currently projects an estimated $2.5 million deficit before employee compensation increases are finalized.
