What we reported

Several residential and mixed-use developments, such as Reynolds Reserve, Escondida, Magnolia Woods, the Woodard Tract and Magnolia Audubon, are slated for the Magnolia area pending completion of the FM 1488 overpass at FM 149 in early 2018 and the extension of Hwy. 249 in 2020.

The latest

Construction of the FM 1488 overpass is nearing completion in the first quarter of 2018, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. As the project wraps up, the Magnolia East Municipal Utility District was created after the November election to help fund the development of 600 apartments, 100 hotel rooms, 120 townhouses, and retail and office space nearby. Voters authorized the MUD to issue various bonds totaling more than $218 million for district improvements. The MUD spans 124 acres near FM 149 and FM 1488 in Magnolia.

What’s next

City Administrator Paul Mendes said TxDOT targets a late May completion date for the FM 1488 overpass with a portion of the overpass opening to drivers as early as late January. Additionally, Texas-based grocer H-E-B is expected to open near the overpass in time for Thanksgiving, Mendes said, with more developments stirring ground nearby. This story is one update from the Annual Community Guide. View the full list of Top 10 stories to follow in 2018 here.