Burgeoning Austin suburb boasts second-hottest neighborhood for U.S. homebuyers "The population of Leander soared 123 percent from 2010 to 2020, and the growth shows no signs of letting up. A new report from residential real estate platform Opendoor provides further evidence of the continued popularity of the Williamson County suburb." (John Egan, Culturemap Austin)

Austin Parks and Recreation Department unveils 6 possible new locations for Waller Creek Boathouse "The Austin Parks and Recreation Department could be looking for a new home for the Waller Creek Boathouse. As a part of Project Connect designs, Capital Metro's MetroRail Blue Line will cross Lady Bird Lake on a bridge and on the lake’s north side go underground to enter a planned below-ground station near the Mexican American Cultural Center and Rainey Street." (Benton Graham, Community Impact)

Internal memo reveals TxDOT’s latest changes to I-35 expansion plans "Lowering I-35 under more cross streets including Holly Street and Woodland Avenue, increasing the number of pedestrian crossings and reconfiguring downtown frontage roads are among the changes to TxDOT's I-35 widening project that are outlined in a new internal memo to the mayor and City Council." (Nathan Bernier, KUT)

City still wrestling with development plan for prime site on Lady Bird Lake "After little movement during the pandemic, the zoning case destined to transform the former home of the American-Statesman's offices is winding its way through the review process again, with its next scheduled stop Jan. 25 before the city's Planning Commission. Known as the Statesman PUD (for planned unit development), Richard Suttle Jr., the attorney for the developers, recently made a procedural move at City Hall that jump-started getting the zoning case onto the Planning Commission docket." (Shonda Novak, Austin American-Statesman)

Project Connect team unveils report on anti-displacement strategy "Project Connect is one step closer to realizing its $7.1 billion public transportation investment, after a report outlining plans for the $300 million set aside for anti-displacement programs was completed last Thursday. The report, developed by a team of impacted community members and city staffers, describes a racial equity anti-displacement tool designed to direct and evaluate funding for these initiatives. ." (Kali Bramble, Austin Monitor)