Success on the Spectrum will now offer ABA therapy in the Wells Branch community Dacia is a features reporter for northern markets in the Austin metro She joined Community Impact in June 2024 shortly after graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in journalism Dacia previously interned for Austin PBS and Voces Oral History Center practicing yoga and trying new restaurants in the city Texas — A cement truck caught on fire on northbound MoPac near Wells Branch Parkway in North Austin early Tuesday morning drawing a significant response from first responders CBS Austin Traffic Anchor Sophia Stamas posted about the incident on X at 5:13 a.m She said that the Austin Fire Department responded and was able to extinguish the blaze "Crews had multiple lanes blocked off," Stamas said ALSO |An anonymous tip line prevented Westlake violence. More than 90% of schools have one CBS Austin's Fred Cantu went to the scene and watched firefighters leave the scene Stamas said clearing such a large truck usually takes a while due to the limited availability of specialized trucks needed for incidents like this Sheriff: Man killed in shooting at Wells Branch apartment complex in North AustinAustin American-StatesmanA person has been detained after a fatal shooting at an apartment complex in the Wells Branch area of North Austin on Thursday night Travis County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call at 6:16 p.m reporting someone had been shot in the 2800 block of Wells Branch Parkway was found in the breezeway of an apartment building however the victim died after being taken to a hospital The release said that multiple witnesses stayed at the scene and are cooperating in the investigation and a person of interest had been detained The people involved knew each other and there is no indication that there is a threat to the public The sheriff's office said the victim's identity will be released pending positive identification by the Travis County medical examiner and notification of next of kin Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff's tip line at 512-854-1444 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 A six-year effort to widen Interstate 35 through North Austin is already underway Drivers are navigating shifting lanes and demolished bridges So what is the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) doing to the biggest road in Austin A guide to I-35 CapEx South is coming soon.) I-35 CapEx North runs almost 11.5 miles from U.S. 290 East to SH 45 North near the border with Williamson County. Construction began in spring of 2023 TxDOT doesn't expect the contractor to be done till early 2029 That contractor is Pulice — whose trucks marked "PULICE" can almost look like law enforcement vehicles for a second. Pulice is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, but the company is actually owned by a gargantuan corporation called ACS. The Spanish firm was ranked the second-largest construction contractor in the world is adding one non-tolled "managed lane" in each direction The managed lanes are also known as "high-occupancy vehicle" (HOV) lanes — reserved for vehicles with two or more people inside along with first responders and public transit The goal of HOV lanes is to keep traffic moving but how vigorously the vehicle occupancy rule will be enforced remains an open question Other big pieces of the I-35 CapEx North project include: We'll take a deeper dive in the walkthrough below We've broken up the projects into intersections from north to south so you can jump ahead State highway dollars come from a variety of sources excise taxes on Texas oil and gas production but many costs — including the stress of having to move — often go uncompensated An online calculator by RMI — a Colorado think tank focused on sustainability previously known as the Rocky Mountain Institute — says adding 23 lane miles to I-35 in Austin would add between 700,000 and 2.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide cumulatively through 2050 For context, 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide is equivalent to the CO2 emissions generated by burning more than half-a-million tons of coal, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency In its environmental assessment of greenhouse gases, the state says: "Such changes cannot be accurately predicted due to the inherent uncertainty in future projections related to demographics and inability to accurately forecast where people work and live." Traffic noise will get louder Of 91 locations TxDOT tested — including schools funeral homes and cemeteries — 52 sites would have noise levels increase close to or beyond federal standards The state is installing eight noise barriers to block some of the traffic sound But they'll only be placed in front of 11 of the 52 locations a noise barrier was found to be either too expensive — based on a federal cost limit of $25,000 per benefited location — or not effective enough Construction will at least temporarily disrupt vegetation and wildlife habitat including the removal of certain trees and ground cover that provide erosion control and habitat for migratory animals TxDOT says those areas will be reseeded and restored and the disruption will be "largely temporary." Let's take a closer look at what is actually happening to I-35 between U.S You don't need to be a highway engineer to understand them The maps are oriented sideways so left is north Some colors in the map don't even appear in the legend Here are just a few things to keep in mind Yellow shows the general purpose lanes that will be widened or reconstructed The teal or light-blue streak represents the new managed lanes Dark gray shows previous projects that were completed before the I-35 CapEx North project Sometimes the colors don't correspond to the legend at all To demystify some important jargon: ROW stands for "right-of-way," which is basically the highway land TxDOT controls Here's a very basic before and after cross-section of I-35 CapEx North This will vary throughout the project's length but the illustration offers a general idea of what's changing We'll have more specific cross-sections below Unlike the I-35 CapEx Central project, where virtually all lanes will be narrowed to 11 feet I-35 CapEx North will retain many 12-foot-wide lanes many temporary lanes will be slimmed to 11 feet Let's start our tour on the northern edge of this highway expansion I-35 CapEx North technically begins slightly inside the Williamson County line; the boundary between the two counties is a bit south of SH 45 North but there aren't any big changes planned in this area The project doesn't include any more flyover ramps providing direct connections between SH 45 North and I-35. Those are planned as part of TxDOT's expansion of I-35 from Round Rock to Georgetown Detailed schematics might not be available till 2025 the thick light-green line shows "shared-use paths," which are essentially sidewalks between 8 and 10 feet wide that both pedestrians and cyclists can use These shared-use paths will run on both sides of the highway along the entire length of I-35 through Travis County One other feature of the I-35 expansion featured here that you'll find throughout: so-called "slip lanes," those right-turn lanes where drivers can quickly bypass the normal intersection to turn right but can be dangerous for pedestrians to cross without any stop sign or traffic signal Perhaps the biggest change in the above section: a new southbound exit ramp is planned just north of Parker Road you get a better picture of what's going on with the southbound ramps TxDOT is doing what it calls a "ramp reversal" in this area opening a new exit ramp and closing a southbound entrance ramp It's something TxDOT engineers say reflects updated highway design standards engineers thought it would make sense to have ramps exit just before the intersection you're trying to access But when traffic gets busy during rush hour a line of vehicles can back up into the main lanes In this case, the ramp reversal comes south of SH 45 North, which could get direct connector ramps to I-35 with that upcoming expansion in Williamson County TxDOT believes this could also increase access to businesses along the frontage road TxDOT plans to close the northbound exit ramp Let's take a closer look at Gilleland Creek This is one of nine creeks I-35 CapEx North project crosses Little Walnut Creek and a bunch of unnamed tributaries Some of the creeks carry water only at certain times of year The purple-shaded area represents the 100-year floodplain, which is land that has a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. TxDOT says the highway is being constructed to allow for the inundation of the roadway during a 100-year flood without causing damage to the road or nearby property which flows 32 miles into the Colorado River naturally starts from Ward Spring outside Pflugerville But runoff from I-35 and SH 45 North have caused the creek to start farther north TxDOT claims highway construction and usage will have relatively minor permanent impacts on the creek As we move farther south toward the intersection of I-35 and Grand Avenue Parkway you can see where the northbound managed lane exits The shaded yellow shows more frontage road lanes The southbound exit ramp to Grand Avenue Parkway will be closed and a new entrance ramp will open – part of the ramp reversal mentioned above The highway bridge over this local cross-street will be widened to accommodate five lanes in each direction I-35 over Grand Avenue Parkway will have 12-foot-wide lanes and 10-foot-wide outside shoulders The inside shoulders will vary between 4 and 10 feet wide Contractors are required to keep at least three main lanes open in each direction with an exception for occasional closures during off-hours like evenings and weekends As you can see from the yellow shading in the schematic below TxDOT will widen the turnaround lanes at Grand Avenue Parkway and add a dedicated right-turn lane to the I-35 southbound frontage road but this more detailed layout shows a traffic island So pedestrians may have to wait for their chance to cross and then make a break for it the frontage road will have double right-turn-only lanes at Grand Avenue Parkway there's only one right-turn-only lane heading north The new double right-turn lane will have a traffic signal with a pedestrian push button Grand Avenue Parkway is a divided road with center medians Those medians will be narrowed and Grand Avenue widened to three lanes in each direction from Vision Drive to Central Commerce Drive Here's a section of that stretch of Grand Avenue TxDOT is planning again to shift entrance and exit ramps The schematic says "EXIT RAMP TO BE CLOSED," but that should read "ENTRANCE RAMP TO BE CLOSED." The ramp is being moved farther north The existing entrance ramp looks like this the northbound entrance ramp will connect with that long merge lane allowing drivers on the northbound frontage road to bypass the traffic signals at Grand Avenue Parkway is a second opportunity for drivers to enter the southbound managed lanes An entrance to the northbound HOV lane is just north of Wells Branch Parkway But you'd have to enter I-35 about a mile before Wells Branch to get there The existing northbound exit ramp just north of Wells Branch Parkway will be closed A new northbound exit ramp will open about a quarter mile up the road The "PROPOSED NEW ENTRANCE RAMP" heading southbound in this section already exists But TxDOT plans to change the geometry slightly to make the ramp a little bit straighter A bit south of that southbound entrance ramp the southbound frontage road will grow from two lanes to three Wells Branch Parkway will undergo the biggest change of all the intersections along the I-35 CapEx North project TxDOT is planning to install something called a "diverging diamond interchange" (DDI) here car lanes shift from the right to the left side of the road This allows drivers to turn left on to the frontage road without crossing against oncoming traffic Take a closer look at the schematic to understand how the DDI lanes at Wells Branch will be configured A shared-use path that will be 8 to 10 feet wide — shown on the schematic in purple for some reason instead of green — will cut in the middle of the interchange with three lanes of traffic on either side This 10-year-old TxDOT video explains how to drive the first DDI that opened in the Austin-area: at I-35 and University Boulevard in Round Rock Highway engineers say DDIs improve the flow of cars and trucks by simplifying left-hand turns Having fewer conflict points reduces the risk of a T-bone crash Pedestrians will have to cross the road up to four times to get to the other side of the interstate At least two of those pedestrian crossings — again the single right-turn-only "slip lanes" — won't have any traffic signals according to TxDOT's more detailed technical documents continuing northbound or southbound won't be possible at Wells Branch Parkway You'd have to get on a bypass lane that skips the intersection you'd need to turn right down Wells Branch do a U-turn at the next intersection and backtrack to the highway The first DDI within Austin opened in 2020:at MoPac and Slaughter Lane. The most recent DDI to open was at I-35 and Parmer Lane which will remain unchanged as part of the I-35 CapEx North project The DDI at Wells Branch Parkway will the first at ground level in the Austin-area A sixth DDI planned at Loop 360 and Courtyard Drive/2222 will also be at ground level Other changes in this area of I-35 include rerouting the northbound frontage road approaching Wells Branch to allow for a wider angle of approach to the DDI You'll still be able to do a U-turn at Wells Branch to switch directions northbound or southbound But the turnaround lanes will have traffic signals because they'll be part of the bigger interchange The I-35 bridge over Wells Branch Parkway has been home to thousands of bats Same for the highway crossing over Howard Lane TxDOT hired a company to try to get the bats out from under the northbound bridge before it was torn down Both bridges will be reconstructed so bats can live there again The new Wells Branch bridge will be bigger. The span will have four 12-foot-wide general-purpose lanes going northbound. But the southbound lanes will mostly be 11 feet wide, much like the narrowed lanes coming to I-35 through Central Austin both frontage roads will widen by one lane Drivers will be able to exit the southbound managed lane here but not soon enough to get off at Howard Lane The next southbound exit from the main lanes isn't until after Howard The existing southbound exit ramp in this area will be closed and shifted a bit farther south The northbound entrance ramp will also be shut and moved south This is also where we start to see the first of eight noise barriers installed along the widened highway More cars mean more noise, and federal regulations require TxDOT to turn down the volume if it gets too loud TxDOT has to install noise barriers only if they don't exceed a federal cost limit The threshold is $25,000 per "receiver," which is a sound sensor placed at homes or businesses with a line-of-sight to the highway If a noise wall costs more than $25,000 to build per benefited receiver the barrier is not considered "reasonable" and isn't required under federal law Same deal if the barrier fails to reduce noise levels by at least 5 decibels for at least half of the households closest to the highway Such noise abatement isn't considered acoustically "feasible" and is not required Dozens of locations along the I-35 CapEx North project — including homes churches and medical facilities — will hear louder traffic noise because of the highway's increased capacity But because 20-foot-tall noise barriers would not achieve a big enough reduction in volume at a low enough price, only 11 of 52 locations expected to have traffic noise approaching or exceeding federal standards will get a noise wall Lantower Ambrosio Apartments on the east side of I-35 south of Wells Branch will get a 510-foot-long noise wall that's 16 feet high The estimated cost of the noise wall is $146,880 — about $8,160 per affected household The other noise barrier in this section will be at the Vineyard an apartment complex also east of I-35 but south of Lantower Ambrosio The sound wall will be 478 feet long and 16 feet tall shielding 21 homes from traffic noise at a cost of $137,664 Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home and Cemetery southeast of the I-35 intersection with Wells Branch Parkway is one of two cemeteries right next to the highway expansion project The other is Cook-Walden Memorial Hill Cemetery A general manager with Cook-Walden confirmed to TxDOT by e-mail that no graves exist outside the fenced-in boundaries of either cemetery All construction work in that area is supposed to happen within the footprint of I-35 so TxDOT concluded it should not be concerned about affecting any unmarked graves Both cemeteries will get louder because of the increased traffic on I-35. Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery will have a 5-decibel increase, according to a TxDOT's technical report on noise a 10-decibel increase sounds like something is twice as loud so a 5-decibel increase would still be noticeable But because the Capital Parks Cemetery is already relatively quiet the 5-decibel increase wouldn't increase noise to a level where the FHWA would require TxDOT to do something about it Traffic noise at Memorial Hill Cemetery would increase by 2 decibels, by TxDOT's estimate Sound levels at that cemetery already exceed federal standards But TxDOT says a 20-foot-tall noise barrier wouldn't reduce the noise by the federal minimum of 5 decibels As we continue south on our tour of the I-35 CapEx North project The schematic says an entrance ramp on the northbound frontage road immediately north of Howard Lane will be closed as indicated by the "PROPOSED NEW EXIT RAMP" text A bigger change in this section will be the addition of a new northbound bypass lane allowing drivers on the frontage road to avoid the intersection at Howard The bypass lane will — as indicated in orange which means "bridge" — rise up over Howard Lane Drivers on the northbound bypass lane over Howard will have the option of merging onto I-35 before Wells Branch But drivers accessing northbound I-35 from Howard will no longer be able to merge on the main lanes before Wells Branch Only drivers on the bypass lane will have access to that northbound I-35 on-ramp So if you regularly drive from Howard to I-35 northbound you'll need to get on the next bypass lane to skip the Wells Branch intersection then merge onto the main lanes a bit before Grand Avenue Parkway the "PROPOSED NEW ENTRANCE RAMP" approaching Howard Lane is really just a slight southward shift of the existing entrance ramp After Howard, northbound frontage road drivers pass by the second burial ground adjacent to the I-35 project: Memorial Hill Cemetery. As mentioned in the Wells Branch section, traffic noise would get louder at this graveyard A sound barrier is not required at Memorial Hill Cemetery under the FHWA's calculation because a 20-foot-tall noise wall wouldn't drop traffic volumes by at least 5 decibels The southbound frontage road approaching Howard Lane will be widened to three lanes from two Now let's zoom in to the intersection of Howard Lane and I-35 The bridge has been habitat for thousands of bats TxDOT tried to evict all the bats on the northbound side before tearing down the bridge in October larger bridges will be constructed in such a way that bats could roost there again After the new bridges are rebuilt and the highway is completed I-35 at Howard Lane will have in each direction: three main lanes You can see in the cross-section the elevated northbound "CD LANE" (collector-distributor lane) that will allow people to bypass the intersection at Howard The configuration of Howard Lane underneath I-35 will change Twelve-foot-wide shared-use paths will run along both the eastbound and westbound lanes The width of the turnaround lanes will grow 40% from 17 feet to 24 feet Both northbound and southbound I-35 frontage roads at I-35 will have a dedicated right-turn lane The slip lanes will have no traffic signal to stop cars for pedestrians trying to reach the traffic island The southbound frontage road south of Howard will briefly grow to three lanes so northbound drivers switching directions via the U-turn lane will have more time to merge the southbound exit ramp and northbound entrance ramps will shift a little The southbound exit ramp will widen to two lanes Not shown in these schematics is a plan to build flyover ramps exclusively for CapMetro buses to exit the managed lanes for the Tech Ridge Park and Ride The bus stop at 900 Center Ridge Drive lets people leave their cars and take the following routes: TxDOT says it doesn't yet have a detailed schematic for the so-called T-ramp for CapMetro buses But this map gives an idea of how the lanes would work Buses could enter and exit the bridge to go north or south This cross-section of the T-ramp shows how the CapMetro lanes would gain elevation before buses could turn onto the bridge CapMetro has been working closely with TxDOT on the T-ramp design and other aspects of the I-35 project The transit agency says it will take advantage of the HOV lanes "We also anticipate having the quality level of experience that we have seen with our Express network on MoPac with similarly managed lanes in place — to where we have previously seen record level ridership for bus service in/out of Downtown/UT with improvements in travel time and directness," CapMetro spokesperson Jorge Ortega told KUT in a statement you can see how the existing northbound bypass lane was closed a few years ago even though the schematic says "TO BE CLOSED." These preliminary schematics are a few years old The northbound lanes north of Parmer will gain a long merge lane TxDOT doesn't have a ton of work planned around Parmer Lane at I-35, because the bridge was already rebuilt and converted to a diverging diamond interchange in 2022 The schematic does show the southbound bypass lane under Parmer growing from one lane to two including underneath the Parmer Lane bridge indicate pavement widening or reconstruction A long merge lane — also known as an auxiliary lane — runs alongside the northbound main lanes traveling from south of Parmer all the way to the next exit north of Howard Lane a northbound bypass lane planned to cross over Tech Ridge Boulevard will split to the entrance ramp and the frontage road The southbound frontage road north of Yager Lane/Tech Ridge widens to four lanes until the southbound entrance ramp The bridge over I-35 at Yager Lane/Tech Ridge won't be rebuilt for the I-35 CapEx North project but a new two-lane bridge on the northbound frontage road will let people bypass the intersection If you can tolerate looking at this busy technical illustration you'll get a better visualization of how the northbound bridge will pass over Tech Ridge Boulevard Imagine standing on the east side of I-35 looking west The 918-foot bypass bridge will be at least 17 feet above Tech Ridge One of the eight planned noise barriers will be constructed at an apartment complex called the Upland North ATX east of I-35 and south of Tech Ridge The $434,160 barrier will be 1,206 feet long and 20 feet high A TxDOT noise test simulating what the expanded highway would sound like from the first- third- and fourth-story balconies found the noise barrier would reduce traffic sound by at least 5 decibels at about half the homes a 10-decibel reduction would sound half as loud The shaded pink area in the bottom right of the schematic map above is supposed to indicate a "construction easement," which is basically private property that's expropriated so TxDOT can position equipement or materials This is also where a shared-use path is now and will remain after the project is done The next section of schematic we'll look at is immediately south of Yager Lane/Tech Ridge Boulevard The northbound frontage road will be resurfaced Most of the southbound frontage road in this area will grow by one lane Next to the yellow northbound frontage road are the yellow northbound bypass lanes that lead into the bridge passing over Tech Ridge Drivers will get on that northbound bypass lane over Tech Ridge farther south at the area labeled "PROPOSED NEW RAMP," accessible from the frontage road Drivers on the main lanes will have a chance to merge on the Tech Ridge bypass lane a bit farther south Say goodbye to the northbound entrance ramp just south of Yager/Tech Ridge On the southbound side of the highway, an exit ramp is closed and a new entrance ramp is opened just south of Park 35 Circle. Some people expressed concern to TxDOT about the location of that onramp during public feedback for the project Residents said people leaving Park 35 Circle — a street that connects to the Central Texas Girl Scouts headquarters the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality campus and other homes and businesses — wouldn't have enough distance to cross three frontage road lanes and accelerate onto the I-35 entrance ramp TxDOT said the on-ramp is 300 feet south of the intersection at Park 35 Circle meeting "the minimum design criteria standards." Moving the on-ramp farther south would have forced out more businesses People trying to get on I-35 southbound from Park 35 Circle can either make a right turn on the frontage road and wait for a moment to accelerate into the entrance ramp or they could backtrack taking Walnut Park Crossing to Lamar Boulevard to Yager Lane to I-35 we arrive at Walnut Creek where the I-35 bridges are being reconstructed Walnut Creek is one of the nine creeks and streams the highway passes over in the I-35 CapEx North project Gilleland Creek and some unnamed tributaries The main lane bridge over Walnut Creek will grow significantly On the frontage road bridges over Walnut Creek the existing sidewalks are just 4 1/2 feet wide Pedestrians must walk next to cars going by at 60 mph on one side and a railing with a long drop to the creek below on the other side It's about as nerve-racking as any sidewalk along I-35 The new sidewalk over Walnut Creek will be 14 feet wide with a steel railing between pedestrians and traffic On the other side of the railing will be a 6 1/2-foot shoulder putting even more space between cars and people Beneath the I-35 bridge over Walnut Creek, crews have already installed 36 bat boxes intended to replace bat habitat lost by the destruction of the Howard Lane and Wells Branch bridges The boxes cost up to $4,000 each and were designed with help from Bat Conservation International One bat expert says the boxes won't provide enough habitat to replace the lost roosts "It doesn't seem like the most ideal habitat It's down below the level of the surrounding landscape But it's a nice gesture," Lee Mackenzie with Austin Bat Refuge one of several bat organizations TxDOT consults "They can't build enough for the number of bats in .. In a yet-to-be-publicized pedestrian improvement TxDOT and the City of Austin are working to build trail crossings under I-35 at Walnut Creek and Little Walnut Creek "TxDOT is designing and constructing openings under I-35 to accommodate trails that will be constructed by the City," said Jack Flagler with the City of Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department For the Walnut Creek connection, the city is in the early engineering stages. For the Little Walnut Creek connection, which we'll look at below, construction funding was recently secured through a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant the southbound frontage road would remain two lanes wide while the northbound frontage road would grow from two lanes to three at Walnut Creek A new northbound exit ramp would be installed a little bit past the bridge drivers would be able to enter the managed lanes a few hundred yards south of Walnut Creek The longest noise barrier along the I-35 CapEx North project will be installed on the east side of the highway between Walnut Creek and Braker Lane The half-mile-long noise wall should turn down the traffic volume by at least 5 decibels in the North Oaks neighborhood The $1 million barrier will be 20 feet tall and broken into segments so as not to block streets leading to I-35 what is now a southbound entrance ramp will be converted to a southbound exit ramp The northbound exit ramp north of Braker Lane gets shifted slightly south The main lanes are still wider here with four lanes instead of three The Braker Lane bridge over I-35 will be rebuilt The biggest change will be the addition of U-turn lanes in both directions They'll be constructed as separate bridges over the highway The northbound turnaround will be installed before the Braker Lane bridge is reconstructed Both frontage roads will get extra turn lanes for the turnaround frontage roads will remain three lanes in each direction at Braker I-35 will have four northbound lanes and five southbound lanes The southbound side includes a long merge lane for drivers on the frontage road to bypass the Braker Lane traffic signal the Braker Lane bridge over I-35 has a standard sidewalk and an unprotected bike lane running on each side 12-foot-wide shared-use paths will run on both sides of the crossing The lane configuration for vehicles on the bridge will remain basically the same A live oak tree believed to be 700 years old is northeast of this intersection The tree would have started growing around the time the Ottoman Empire was established and the Black Plague began sweeping across Europe it's in the parking lot of a Northern Tool + Equipment TxDOT has vowed to protect the 5-foot-thick tree on the northbound I-35 frontage road A certified arborist is supposed to be on site whenever construction work happens near the oak the northbound entrance lane will shift slightly north The southbound exit lane moves farther south In this next section — I-35 around Diamondback Trail and Applegate Drive — drivers on the northbound managed lanes will be able to exit as they approach Braker Lane you can see where drivers could enter the southbound managed lane north of Rundberg The southbound exit lane just south of Braker will be closed Drivers who want to exit I-35 for Rundberg Lane will have to use the new southbound exit lane north of Braker and wait at the Braker Lane stop lights The main lanes grow from three to four between Braker and Rundberg Lane We have arrived just north of Rundberg Lane Two bypass lanes in each direction will let drivers on the frontage roads take a bridge right over the Rundberg Lane intersection The southbound managed lane will have an exit just north of Rundberg as indicated by the green arrow The exit will give drivers on the managed lane enough time to get on the U.S Demolition has already begun on the I-35 bridge over Rundberg Lane The crossing will be rebuilt larger one side at a time three northbound lanes and three southbound lanes and a long merge lane Two bypass lanes in each direction will let drivers on the frontage roads avoid the intersection without merging onto the main lanes The U-turn lanes under I-35 will be shifted outward — as indicated by the new yellow-shaded lanes replacing the red thatched area which represents existing turnaround lanes Moving the U-turn lanes will create space for 12-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of Rundberg Lane under I-35 as you can hopefully make out in this technical illustration but three existing slip lanes will be kept in the northwest southwest and southeast corners of the intersection Here's a diagram showing the planned pavement makings on the east side of the highway at Rundberg One of the eight noise barriers being installed as part of I-35 CapEx North will be inserted on the west side of the highway south of Rundberg Lane The walls are intended to block additional traffic noise for people living at the Starburst and Orbit apartment complexes The 912-foot-long wall will be 20 feet tall and broken into five segments so it doesn't block driveways would have a sound reduction of at least 5 decibels The estimated cost of the barrier is $328,320 an entrance ramp at Henna Chevrolet will be closed drivers on the northbound frontage lane could get on the bypass lanes a bit farther south and merge into the main lanes after Rundberg southbound I-35 narrows from four main lanes to three To build the southbound bypass lanes at Rundberg Lane TxDOT expropriated almost 0.7 acres of land from the Upper Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt Most of the land was taken from existing City of Austin parkland on the west side of I-35 But some proposed parkland was taken on the east side As a way to "mitigate" the seizure of parkland TxDOT is designing a bicycle and pedestrian crossing under I-35 at Little Walnut Creek It should be ADA accessible and have lighting The 10-foot-wide bridge will be built and maintained by the city A design of the actual bridge isn't ready yet but this cross-section shows the pedestrian path would travel under the I-35 bridge over Walnut Creek The main lane bridge over Little Walnut Creek will be higher than the frontage road bridges 183 would merge from the main lanes or the frontage road to a two-lane ramp Northbound drivers on the frontage road could get on a bypass lane to skip the Rundberg intersection and merge on the main lanes farther north These are to block sound for the people living at Towne Oaks 1 Apartment complex The $46,260 barrier will be 257 feet long and 10 feet wide This section shows the southbound exit ramp continuing to the flyover connecting to U.S Frontage roads on both sides remain three lanes wide you can tell how many lanes there are by counting them or by looking at the little numbers in white circles TxDOT cut the ribbon on three new flyovers at U.S Those are indicated in the schematic in dark gray As the southbound main lanes pass under U.S the entrance ramp joins and expands the main lanes from three to four The managed lanes continue beneath the interchange without entrances or exits there aren't a lot of changes planned around U.S 183 because of all the work already done over the last few years This crossing over the highway was reconstructed with new U-turn lanes in 2020 part of the same $124 million project that added three flyovers at U.S The project included bypass lanes allowing drivers on the frontage roads to avoid the intersection more bypass lanes are coming to Howard Lane (northbound) Yager Lane/Tech Ridge Boulevard (northbound) and Rundberg Lane (both directions) I-35 southbound grows to five lanes at this point including the long merge lane And that takes us to the last stop on our tour I-35 CapEx North project spans almost to U.S. 290. That's where the I-35 CapEx Central project picks up and runs 8 miles south to Ben White Boulevard The entrance and exit ramps for the managed lanes in North Austin will be situated just north of the U.S Construction of the I-35 CapEx North project is supposed to wrap up in early 2029. Until then, expect lane and bridge closures, construction noise and dust. TxDOT says the contractor, Pulice Construction must keep at least three lanes open in both directions except for occasional closures that may happen during evenings or weekends If you would like to brave diving into the technical documents to learn more detail about particular areas or future traffic-control plans during construction, we've made all 4,000+ pages of the 100% plans available for download You can also download the TxDOT schematic but easier to read if you can zoom in and out This story has been corrected to remove a reference to La Crosse Avenue at MoPac being a diverging diamond interchange The bridge was reconstructed as a standard intersection Money market accounts are similar to savings accounts Unlock financial rewards by signing up for a savings or checking account with a bonus offer Compare trusted real estate agents all in one place Answer a few quick questions and we’ll show you your top credit card options Read in-depth credit card reviews to find out which cards have the best perks and more A HELOC is a variable-rate line of credit that lets you borrow funds for a set period and repay them later Home equity loans let you borrow a lump sum at a fixed rate based on how much of the home you own outright Wells Fargo is a financial institution that offers its customers personal corporate and investment banking solutions There are currently around 5,600 branches and 11,000  ATMs nationwide You can find a Wells Fargo retail banking branch near you by using the branch locator on the Wells Fargo website or the Wells Fargo App you also have the option to use Google Maps to find nearby branches The retail banking branches offer these products and services: You can also visit the website or use the mobile app to locate nearby ATMs Unlike traditional ATMs that only allow you to withdraw cash Wells Fargo ATMs feature the following capabilities: Wells Fargo serves approximately 70 million customers and maintains its position as one of the largest banks in the United States by assets Customer support is available 24/7 by phone for general banking inquiries at 1-800-869-3557 A representative will answer your question or route you to the appropriate point of contact If you need assistance with online banking you can reach a representative at 1-800-956-4442 Additional customer service options include: you should confirm the hours of operation on the website or mobile app before visiting Drive-up teller hours often extend beyond lobby hours at locations with this service typically opening 30 minutes earlier and closing 30 minutes later than the lobby.  and available products aligns with your specific financial needs FirstLight Home Care of Wells Branch opened on Nov (Courtesy FirstLight Home Care of Wells Branch) Law enforcement cleared the scene after determining the package was a false alarm The shelter-in-place has been discontinued and the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad are on the scene responding to a suspicious package call reported in the Wells Branch area Pflugerville Fire Department posted the incident on Facebook around 1:10 p.m saying officials were responding to the 2300 block of Dowd Lane TCSO says they received the call of a suspicious package around 10:56 a.m Officials are asking the residents to shelter in place within the immediate area as they work on the incident We will update this story as more information becomes available Athens Cafe opened in November in Wells Branch and serves traditional Greek dishes including the Sagnaki pictured Texas — A bomb scare shut down portions of I-35 for over two hours Sunday night before authorities determined there was no explosive device present according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office when a driver contacted Round Rock police reporting he believed there was a bomb in his vehicle The subject pulled over along I-35 in Travis County's jurisdiction authorities closed both northbound and southbound lanes of I-35 near Wells Branch Parkway and Grand Avenue Parkway around 10:40 p.m The Austin Police Department's Bomb Unit was called to assist ALSO | Motorcyclist critically injured in Mopac crash near Parmer Lane officials confirmed no explosive device was found in the vehicle The interstate was reopened to traffic at approximately 1:00 a.m Multiple agencies responded to the incident including the Travis County Sheriff's Office Round Rock Police Department and Austin Police Department Authorities have not released additional details about the driver or the circumstances that led to the scare Sanjeevani Indian Cuisine serves a range of appetizers Texas — Pflugerville Fire Department responded to a vehicle rescue involving two vehicles at Merrilltown Dr and Warfield Way in Wells Branch Saturday morning AFD Engine 28 and Rescue 28 also responded to the incident where the department stated that Engine 221 was dispatched to the vehicle rescue while they were in the area installing smoke alarms ALSO:Central Texas Food Bank forced to cancel 716,000 meals after federal cuts One of the vehicles had reportedly rolled onto its side Three patients were transported for further evaluation This will be franchise owners Nicole and Cleo DeLeon's second location 2 has crews working on repairing the water main break in the 1720 block of West Wells Branch Parkway The water main line in north Austin has been repaired Residents who were without water are now under a boil water notice while crews test the water quality Neighborhoods and Apartment Complexes under Boil Water Notice include: Streets and Addresses under Boil Water Notice: Some residents in north Austin are still without water as crews try to repair a water main break in the 1720 block of West Wells Branch Parkway a utility contractor hit the water main line around 5 p.m Water operators responded and tried to repair it the utility service said that a specialized welding crew from out of town was needed due to the type of pipe and the damage that was inflicted Officials hope water will be restored before 2 p.m residents will be placed under a boil water notice while the water quality is tested residents can fill up water jugs at a filling station that is set up in the community garden parking lot This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available It's almost time for Austin-area voters to cast their ballots in the Nov On Tuesday, millions of Americans will gather at polling places across the country to vote on several races, including the presidential race between former President Donald Trump or current Vice President Kamala Harris Texas voting hours on Election Day are 7 a.m According to the official Texas voting site counties participating in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CWPP) — also known as "Vote Centers" — allow residents to vote at any location within their county Hays and Williamson counties participate in CWPP residents may only vote at the precinct assigned to them Registered voters in Travis County can cast their ballot at any voting center where a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign is displayed More information is at votetravis.gov/current-election-information/current-election More information is at wilcotx.gov/elections More information is at hayscountytx.gov/elections/20241105 Am I registered to vote on Election Day?If you're not sure whether you're registered, you can check your status at Texas.gov It will ask you to enter your date of birth and driver's license number or voter unique identification number eligible Texans can vote for other officials running on the local Here is a look at some key races or propositions on the ballot for Austin-area residents: The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail was Oct The last day for a county to receive a mailed ballot is Nov it will be counted if the county receives it by 5 p.m Voters must present one of seven acceptable forms of identification at the polls Those who are unable to present one of the forms of ID listed above may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and present an alternative form of ID government check or voter registration certificate Know your rights as a voterAs a voter, you have the right to request the following, according to the secretary of state: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Bank executives welcomed Heather Blair to its CIO team Monday Wells Fargo is midway through a decade-long modernization push that’s brought several key technology leadership changes over the last several years. Technology infrastructure modernization is ongoing at the bank, which earmarked $900 million for incremental technology investments this year, CFO Mike Santomassimo said in a January earnings call “We continue to invest in technology and digital platforms to transform how we serve both our consumer and commercial customers,” Santomassimo said “This includes continuing the transition of our applications to the cloud migrating into new data centers and investing in data platforms to drive more insights.” Blair is the latest technology executive hired by the company to help drive modernization efforts across its banking businesses Last year, the bank welcomed SVP and Head of Technology Bridget Engle an industry veteran who previously served as CIO and head of engineering at BNY for seven years and as a CIO and CTO at Bank of America during the prior six years Wells Fargo elevated Kerrins from within to lead the banks’ generative AI strategy concurrently “Our new generative AI team will work closely with our data and technology platform management teams, as well as each business, on identifying and delivering on the potential of generative AI responsibly,” Wells Fargo President and CEO Charlie Scharf said in a July announcement Kerrins rose to head of technology as part of a C-suite reshuffle that elevated Saul Van Beurden to senior EVP and CEO of consumer and small business banking in 2023. Van Beurden is a JPMorgan Chase veteran who served for five years as the company’s CIO of consumer and community banking Blair joins another former JPMorgan Chase colleague Wells Fargo CIO of Core Banking Technology Alan Varrasso The two executives’ time at JPMorgan Chase overlapped for ten years prior to 2022 “Having had the opportunity to work with Heather in the past, I’ve seen firsthand her leadership, vision, and impact,” Varrasso said on LinkedIn “She brings a wealth of experience to the organization and more importantly is a true champion for female technology talent.” Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts A responsible AI policy and multidisciplinary team built the foundation of the company's compliance with the EU AI Act a potential sign that technologists restarted their search in the new year The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines The National Labor Relations Board alleged the lender threatened and retaliated against workers in favor of unionization at a California branch The National Labor Relations Board has accused Wells Fargo of illegally threatening and retaliating against employees and coercing workers to prevent fair unionization votes at a California branch Most employees of an Atwater, California, branch who signed cards supporting unionization in December 2023 voted against unionization the following month, a regional director of the NLRB alleged, in a complaint filed Tuesday and seen by Bloomberg The NLRB claims Wells Fargo coerced workers to vote against unionization The labor board wants the bank to recognize and negotiate with the union despite the vote, based on a 2023 precedent case. The 2023 Cemex ruling strengthened the NLRB's power to compel companies that violate labor laws to recognize unions Republicans and business groups oppose the precedent President Donald Trump appointed Cowen acting general counsel last week, days after firing NLRB’s previous chief lawyer Jennifer Abruzzo The email notifying Wilcox of her termination said she was being fired since she did not “share the objectives” of the present administration Wilcox’s ouster has left the board with only two members coupled with existing vacancies and does not meet the minimum number of members needed to adjudicate routine cases alleging the president surpassed his authority in firing her and requesting that she be allowed to resume her work as an NLRB member The NLRB complaint does not signify a complete investigation or a full adjudication of the allegations; rather the regional office found that the allegations may be sufficient to go to a hearing to consider all evidence and make credibility determinations Employees at the Atwater branch voted 3-1 to reject unionization in January 2024 The branch manager allegedly told staff she knew about organizing discussions and warned about camera surveillance She also reportedly told workers that Wells Fargo would apply stricter work conditions and would make union supporters stay longer hours A Wells Fargo spokesperson said the bank trains its managers to respect the rights of its employees to freely associate and join or support a union or to bargain collectively with a representative of their choosing “We train our managers to comply with labor law and respect the rights of our employees,” the spokesperson told Banking Dive via email the majority of eligible employees freely voted against a union in a Board supervised secret ballot election and the facts do not support allegations to the contrary.” Wells Fargo is cooperating with the investigation but believes these allegations are unfounded and plans to defend the company and employees An NLRB hearing before a judge is scheduled for October unionized Wells Fargo employees hit a new challenge in organizing The bank's conduct management intake team won its union vote 21-16 in December making it the first non-branch unit at Wells Fargo to unionize The team, which handles customer and employee complaints across various locations, has now filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB through Wells Fargo Workers United-CWA. The complaint alleges that the bank illegally refuses to engage in collective bargaining following the certified union vote, American Banker reported the bank contends it’s waiting for the outcome of the NLRB’s review and claims there were procedural flaws in the handling of the vote CWA unionized 24 Wells Fargo branches last year Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf pushed back on employee unionization efforts last April saying it’s important to “make clear that we continue to believe that our employees are best served by working directly with Wells Fargo and our leadership team.” The bureau sent reduction-in-force notices to roughly 90% of its staff Thursday with plans to cut off terminated employees’ access to CFPB systems at 6 p.m The regional lender is honing the way a group of its bankers manage small-business customer relationships as competition rises in the Southeast Subscribe to the Banking Dive free daily newsletter The branch sits at the corner of Second and Grace streets in Monroe Ward A prolific local real estate family has added to their downtown portfolio recently purchased the former Wells Fargo bank branch at 122 E The 2,800-square-foot branch was one of nearly a dozen local locations that Wells Fargo decided to close in recent years. The banking giant closed the Monroe Ward location in the fall of 2023 and listed the real estate for sale shortly after The Shaias’ purchase closed on March 19 The 27-year-old structure sits on a half-acre parcel at the corner of Grace and Second Street and was most recently assessed by the city at $1.7 million Alan Shaia said they’re planning to try to find a new tenant for the old Wells Fargo branch “We’re thinking right now we’re going to put it out for lease and see what we can get,” Shaia said Shaia said there was a restriction in the sale that precludes them from leasing it to another bank but noted the space could be renovated for another office user or restaurant The former department store had been home to a Subway restaurant for years that until recently had been occupied by Subway and DaVinci’s Pizza Shaia said they’ve leased the two-story building to an unnamed transitional housing operator that’s converting it into a behavioral health facility that should be completed sometime this summer Last year, Wells Fargo sold another one of its shuttered local branches at 3501 W. Broad St. That property was sold to local development firm Thalhimer Realty Partners for $4.1 million This story is for our paid subscribers only Please become one of the thousands of BizSense Pro readers today Renew now by choosing a subscription below YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM Mike Platania joined BizSense in December 2016. He covers commercial real estate, restaurants and breweries. He graduated from Virginia Tech. Reach him at mike@richmondbizsense.com or (804) 554-6872 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" I really hope a great restaurant moves into that space it would be a great location for a privately owned restaurant houses Stella’s Market and Perly’s Deli Someone please turn this into Restaurant Row again Having worked on that block in the former Stella’s building for almost 20 years this area sports a great deal of foot traffic; is near the convention center and one block from the Deco which houses 200 units (just to name one large entity) Excited to see what this… Read more » Would love to see something like that there the current parking lot to building footprint is absurd given its location downtown In a highest and best use scenario this would be converted to a mixed-use style building in the likeness of the rest of the block it’s a suburban scale building that’s always been out of place in an urban neighborhood so possibly wrap an L-shaped apartment structure on the parking lots and drive-thru lanes and make the bank buiilding a focal point restaurant (or some other amenity) I’d love to see the entire parking lot converted into something large and high-density – either an apartment building or something mixed use Have integrated parking with entry/exit point(s) either on Grace And go at least 15 stories – roughly the same height as the Parc View Commonwealth a few block west on Grace The former back building could be turned into an iconic focal point restaurant – and with a large apartment or mixed use building wrapped around it would have a great starting base of clientele I do not think that current building is a 27 year structure I remember walking on Grace Street in 1999/2001 when I started full time with the city and the old walk up teller windows of the vacant Southern National/Jefferson National Bank building were still in place I do not think that branch opened in 1998 More like 2005 or 2006 but I could be off it’s been too long to really remember but it was early in my career… i think like 2001 – 2002 I’d like to see that entire 10 blocks of Grace Street studied as a pedestrian mall It’s a much better candidate for revitalization than is Carytown (which doesn’t need revitalization The street grid needs to be maintained and streets bring visibility to businesses while also providing on street parking I agree Carytown doesn’t need it and it’s not going to spur on new businesses to locate on Grace Street either https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-09-09/why-america-fell-out-of-love-with-the-pedestrian-mall had its beginnings next door in the old Sydnor and Hundley building back in the 1970’s and Pearly’s was there then too Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant back then that was on the corner of First and Grace The good ol’ lunch specials is what I remember and at Tom’s on Third and Main © 2025 Richmond BizSense - All Rights Reserved Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now × The Wells Fargo banking branch in downtown Sioux Falls will close in order to consolidate office and branch spaces — but major redevelopment may be on the horizon next year Local real estate agent David Shelton has plans to revamp the area with offices a hotel tower and grocery and retail establishments While plans are still being finalized and likely will be announced next year Shelton said he has initial clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to build up to 220 feet “This will be a transformational project for downtown Sioux Falls,” Shelton said “We’re excited about the future and the opportunities it will bring to the city.” Wells Fargo spokesperson Staci Schiller said although bank branches remain an important part of customer service banking habits have evolved from in-person to digital tools such as the app this has resulted in less foot traffic to physical banks Wells Fargo needs to continue to adapt to how people are banking today to best meet the needs of the community if the branch isn't getting utilized as much because people are changing the way they bank and just doing different behaviors we're able to deploy our resources elsewhere,” Schiller said Wells Fargo’s downtown Sioux Falls branch temporarily closed in February last year due to staffing challenges caused by the city’s low unemployment rate the bank was actively hiring and onboarding new employees the downtown Wells Fargo ATM will remain at its current location the Colonial bank branch at 26th Street and South Minnesota Avenue is the next closest location as one of the seven remaining Wells Fargo banking branches in Sioux Falls and one in Brandon Schiller said Wells Fargo is “making every attempt” to place branch employees at other Wells Fargo locations Administrative, commercial banking and wealth team staff already have moved to their new space at the former Bancorp building at 69th Street and Western Avenue Other employees will either work remotely or at the bank’s Sioux Falls Operations Center at 3201 N The Operations Center also will serve as Wells Fargo’s new main office after the downtown branch closes in the spring “The fact that we are keeping our main office in Sioux Falls speaks to our level of investment and that Sioux Falls remains an important location for Wells Fargo,” Schiller said Last year, many Wells Fargo employees were concerned that the multinational financial company would be eliminating a significant number of positions in Sioux Falls, later deciding to recommit most of its workforce in the city “Sioux Falls is a really important location for us and we want to continue to employ folks here in Sioux Falls and just concentrate some of our other real estate investments in fewer locations,” Schiller said Schiller said the Wells Fargo branch located south of 57th Street and Cliff Avenue was recently refurbished and she hopes this will also be the case for other Sioux Falls-area branches in the near future As for what awaits the downtown Wells Fargo building lot who also is a broker for Century 21 Advantage said those plans will be finalized once Wells Fargo’s lease ends in December we’ll meet with existing tenants to decide on the best path forward with the existing building,” Shelton said “Our intention is to develop the north part of the site first this summer where the current parking ramp and surface lots are.” Wells Fargo has anchored the downtown building since 1973. A new owner named Roland Johnson or R.H Johnson invested in the office building in 2013 In 2015, Shelton's ambitious redevelopment of the 2.6-acre Wells Fargo lot was one of three Request for Proposals (RFP) for parking with the city of Sioux Falls Ten years later, the vision Shelton proposed, with some adjustments, is finally seeing the light of day with a mixed-used redevelopment project on the corner of Ninth Street and Phillips Avenue, a site that is considered “a major development opportunity with major impact” in the city’s 2035 Downtown Sioux Falls Plan. Shelton said they would likely build a new office building potentially including office space and residential units along with a hotel tower and grocery and retail establishments “We’re looking to build what isn’t currently available in Sioux Falls but is in growing demand,” Shelton said “This project is designed to last the next 100 years emphasizing low energy consumption and luxury accommodations.” Shelton said even back in 2015 they were actively pursuing Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods The hurdle Shelton said they would need to overcome is the state of South Dakota’s alcohol distribution requirements The proposed redevelopment could also include interactive elements to enhance the downtown experience such as video walls that integrate with the Sculpture Walk Law enforcement officials have arrested an 18-year-old man and a juvenile in connection with a fatal shooting in North Austin on last week Nathan Jamar Reed-Harper of Pflugerville and a juvenile whose name was not released were arrested Monday in the death of 24-year-old Darrell Keith Davis of Austin The two turned themselves in after warrants were issued for their arrests Deputies responded to a 911 call at 6:16 p.m Thursday reporting someone had been shot at an apartment complex in the 2800 block of Wells Branch Parkway They found Davis in the breezeway of a building the sheriff's office said in a news release Detectives have determined Reed-Harper and the juvenile knew Davis and that the shooting stemmed from an attempted robbery that turned violent More: Sheriff: Man killed in shooting at Wells Branch apartment complex in North Austin Reed-Harper and the juvenile are each facing one charge of murder Reed-Harper is being held at the Travis County Jail with bail set at $1 million The sheriff's office did not provide information about the juvenile's bail amount or where he is being held Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Travis County sheriff's office tip line at 512-854-1444 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 — Wells Fargo is planning to close the branch located inside the iconic greenlit-at-night tower in downtown Albuquerque A spokesperson for Wells Fargo confirmed the branch at 200 Lomas Blvd the company is inviting customers to use their branch at 3801 4th St a real estate developer told KOB 4 they had a contract to buy the Wells Fargo building They plan to put apartments on several floors and a mix of offices and a restaurant on the first floor Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KOB via our online formor call 505-243-4411 2025 at 2:45 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Wells Fargo branch at 15240 W CA — The Sunset Boulevard Wells Fargo branch is planning to reopen Wednesday two months after it shut down due to the Palisades Fire will reopen with in-house experts that can help with FEMA applications insurance claims and more services meant to serve those recovering from the Palisades Fire “We are glad that we are able to open the doors and service our local customers,” Alice Juarez a Wells Fargo Los Angeles-region executive "Although we’ve been able to serve our Pacific Palisades customers out of our nearby Santa Monica branches we are incredibly pleased to fully re-open our Pacific Palisades branch.” Wells Fargo says the reopening will make it the first major financial institution in the area to reopen after the fire The bank is removing surcharges normally charged to non-Wells Fargo customers at 15 of its ATMs in the area The company has been active in fire-related philanthropy It made a $500,000 contribution to the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Funds partnered with Together for LA to provide resources to impacted small business owners and workers and its employees volunteered at the LA Food Bank and at the Los Angeles Coliseum to make care packages for those impacted The Palisades Wells Fargo branch will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Wells Fargo branch in downtown El Paso at the Wells Fargo Plaza skyscraper will be closing but other businesses in the building will stay open Only the Wells Fargo branch is closing the other lines of business that office in that building will remain open Wells Fargo provided the following statement: RECOMMENDED:El Paso man gets 15 years for selling fentanyl-laced pills that resulted in death Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox Haraz Coffee House is opening two locations in West Campus and Pflugerville A Michigan coffee chain is bringing Yemeni coffee and sweets to Austin with two new locations. Haraz Coffee House will be opening in the West Campus neighborhood at 500 West Martin Luther King Jr and then in Pflugerville at 801 West Wells Branch Parkway There are no projected opening dates as of yet where its beans are sourced from the shop’s namesake coffee-growing village in the same-named mountain range of the Middle Eastern country This means spiced drinks brewed in jubani (Yemeni clay pots) like the Harazi with coffee a black coffee drink with cardamom; and the rada’ai where black tea is mixed with spices and cream The cafe also serves up espresso and lattes (including saffron and pistachio ones) the Bee Bites (where honey-drizzled bread is filled with cream cheese) A post shared by Haraz Coffee House™️ (@harazcoffeehouse) The space leans into the communal aspects of drinking and sharing coffee and treats There will be dine-in and takeout services Haraz founder and CEO Hamzah Nasser started the coffee shop in Dearborn, Michigan cafe in 2021, and since then, has grown over 10 locations in five states, including California and Texas (Houston There are plans to open in other cities and states too The Austin franchisees are Zeid Ayssa and Mufid Ghaleb The branch is located along 1st Avenue Northwest; no specific reason for the decision to close was given “There are other nearby branches and ATMs located around Hickory,” a spokesperson wrote “We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.” Officials advised that the branch is accessible until it closes customers will be redirected to use its Viewmont branch along 2nd Street Northeast That location is just over a mile away from 1st Avenue Northwest Wells Fargo released the following statement regarding the location’s shutter: “Branches continue to play an important role in the way we serve our customers in combination with our mobile app We are actively investing in our branch network by opening new locations and refurbishing our entire network While we continue to optimize our branch footprint we are doing so with as little net impact as possible to our customers and the communities we serve." For a list of ATM and banking locations, click here Wells Fargo will have 39 branches in the Richmond region after the Nov Wells Fargo continues its years-long streak of trimming its Richmond-area branch count this time with a location in North Chesterfield set to get the ax The banking giant plans to close its outpost at 9601 Amberdale Drive on Nov The branch will remain open for business as usual until then the bank is directing customers of that location to use its branch at 7202 Midlothian Turnpike The Amberdale branch fronts the Amberleigh Village neighborhood which it inherited through its takeover of Wachovia Bank years ago It’s one of the bank’s smaller branches in Chesterfield in terms of deposits Wells Fargo has yet to make a decision as to whether it will sell or lease the Amerdale Drive property The 4,500-square-foot branch building was constructed in 2007 and sits on a 1.2-acre lot The property was most recently assessed by the county at $1.9 million Wells Fargo has made it a practice in recent years of shuttering underperforming branches in the face of changing consumer trends toward online banking It will have 39 branches remaining in the Richmond metro area after the Nov That’s down from 45 a year ago and 56 five years ago and 63 a decade ago the bank emphasized its continue presence in the Richmond market where it is the third largest bank doing business in the region based on deposits “Wells Fargo remains committed to Richmond and branches continue to play an important role in the way we serve our customers in combination with our online and mobile channels and ATMs,” it said in an email to BizSense The bank said it is considering options for what to do with the North Chesterfield property Other vacated Wells Fargo sites have attracted suitors in recent years. Among them is its former branch at 3501 W. Broad St. across from Scott’s Addition in the city. That prime property was under contract earlier this year to be sold to an unknown buyer Earlier this summer competitor Fulton Bank took over the former Wells Fargo branch at 8215 W. Broad St. at the corner of Parham Road It will serve as Fulton’s new West End branch replacing its current spot at 4180 Dominion Blvd Michael Schwartz is the editor of Richmond BizSense, and covers banking, lawsuits, finance, M&A and golf. He can be reached at michael@richmondbizsense.com or 804-855-1037 Is there a broker or Wells Fargo contact that knows which branches they are shutting down next We have a private bank and are looking to acquire existing branches Wells Fargo has some of the best locations in Richmond Not sure if their disposition process but if there is someone in the know I would love to purchase them prior to hitting the market or whatever process WF is using I think Starbucks likes to scarf some of these up due to the existing drive through If they own the building they like to deed restrict other banks from opening for two or three years Will McGoogan with Thalhimer has a few of their former branches listed would mark the first time nonbranch employees of the bank have agreed to unionize The results have been delayed amid a challenge by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo The bank is contesting ballots cast by eight of its former employees who were laid off just nine days before voting began on whether to unionize But the Communications Workers of America said Friday that it has dropped its objection to Wells Fargo's challenge and that even after discarding the eight contested votes the pro-union side prevailed by a 21-16 margin The results have yet to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board the conduct management intake group won their union election," a union spokesman said in an email the vote will represent a landmark in the effort to organize workers at the nation's fourth largest bank by asset size Over the last year, workers at 23 Wells Fargo branches have voted to establish a union "We respect our employees' rights to vote for or against union representation, and we will honor the outcome of any certified election," a Wells Fargo spokesperson said in a written statement The still-pending votes were cast by members of the bank's conduct management intake team and are responsible for reviewing customer and employee complaints shortly after 11 of the group's roughly four dozen employees were laid off the layoffs and the unfair labor practice charge The bank's spokesperson said the layoffs were not connected with union organizing efforts "We regularly review and adjust staffing levels to align with market conditions and the needs of our businesses The decision was made earlier this year and has nothing to do with the union," the spokesperson said The employees whose unit voted to unionize act as gatekeepers for the bank's review of customer and employee complaints — an important role at a bank facing a high degree of regulatory scrutiny in the wake of various scandals who was an employee in the unit until she was laid off shortly before the union vote said in a recent interview that she believes she and others were let go in retaliation for their union organizing efforts She said that six of the 11 workers who were laid off were vocal union supporters "I think it was a way to thwart us from actually organizing," said Cuadras an Arizona-based member of the conduct management intake team who is also a union supporter But she shares her former co-worker's opinion about the bank's motive for the job cuts saying that a majority of the employees who lost their jobs were outspoken advocates for unionization "So it really felt like they were getting rid of those people and sprinkling in a few others for plausible deniability," Davis said in an interview "These are people who have dedicated years for a company that discarded them like trash." The conduct management intake employees who want a union have cited multiple reasons including what they've described as "staffing issues a lack of transparency in enterprise policies inconsistent training and job security concerns." "We have persevered, but alarmingly, in the last few months those challenges have become near insurmountable," a group of 27 workers from the intake unit wrote in a Sept. 5 letter to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf "Intake has faced additional hurdles stemming from miscommunications about location strategy misleading information about enterprise initiatives and growth constant policy changes and the revocation of work from home accommodations against the recommendations of employees' physicians," the employees wrote Cuadras pointed more specifically to offshoring as one of the motivations for the unionization push saying that earlier this year the $1.9 trillion-asset bank moved some of the work previously done by members of her team to newly hired workers in India 3 email to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra Cuadras and 18 other members of her unit wrote that they routinely review customer allegations of improper denials of mortgage modifications unlawful repossession of vehicles and more 2024 6:37 AM "Elimination of our positions or slashing the positions in our department to such low levels that it will be impossible for us to effectively do our jobs could make it extremely difficult to properly handle these complaints," the workers wrote A source familiar with the bank's position said that some existing work has been moved to global sites, which are staffed by Wells Fargo employees and that those workers are trained and equipped to provide customer care This source added that the bank has "effective controls" in place to confirm that "sensitive information" is handled properly and compliantly The unionization push has put Wells Fargo in a position that's largely unfamiliar to U.S banks — engaging in brass-tacks negotiations with labor organizers Members of the bank's intake team wrapped up voting on whether to form a union on Nov. 1, and the NLRB's certification of the results has been delayed by Wells Fargo's ballot challenge The bank's position is that on the date they cast their ballots the eight laid-off workers were no longer performing any bargaining unit work and had no expectation of employment in those roles in the near future NLRB case law and precedents support the position that the ballots should not be counted on that basis But the union organizers note that after they dropped their objection to Wells Fargo's challenge of the eight ballots the bank refused to sign a stipulation agreement to resolve those challenged ballots A union spokesperson said that after Wells refused to sign the agreement the NLRB rewrote it so that only the union's signature is required "Now we are just waiting for the NLRB Regional Director to sign it and issue the final tally sheet," the union spokesperson said in an email Nick Weiner, who is organizing Wells Fargo workers for the Committee for Better Banks which was founded by the Communications Workers of America said that Wells has no basis for refusing to sign the agreement The agreement stipulates that the challenged ballots won't be counted Wells recently started contract talks with branch employees in Albuquerque The terms of a contract that gets hammered out in Albuquerque could offer a blueprint for other branches that have voted to unionize. Or it might not, especially if Wells branch workers in different parts of the country diverge in their priorities. The Wells Fargo branch where workers most recently voted in favor of a union is located in Toms River Weiner said in a recent interview that Wells Fargo workers are united to negotiate a contract that covers branch employees regardless of where they're based "And that's obviously a bone of contention with the company," he said The Wells Fargo spokesperson said the bank is committed to bargaining in good faith with employees at the New Mexico branch "Wells Fargo is proud of the competitive compensation and attractive career development opportunities we provide our employees Our goal is to work together toward a fair contract for all involved stakeholders," the spokesperson said in a written statement The union organizing effort at Wells Fargo is the first such push in recent decades at a large U.S Student loans CFPB wins rare judgment over student loan debt relief firm A federal judge has ordered FDATR a now-defunct student loan debt relief provider to pay $43 million in restitution and fees bucking the trend of cases brought by the Biden administration-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau being dropped Industry News How Cathinka Wahlstrom is modernizing America's oldest bank BNY's chief commercial officer talks about AI tariffs and her efforts to help create a leaner which he thinks reinforces the case for deregulation including Early Warning's peer-to-peer money transfer app Zelle reiterates the importance of bank redundancies FORECLOSURE WARS She stopped paying her mortgage more than 15 years ago RIA Quarterly Period: Q4 2024 4 Reasons To Sell Simplified Issue Disability Income Insurance (SIDI) Simplified Issue Disability Income Insurance (SIDI): A Smarter Way to Sell and Protect registered investment advisors and wealth managers with comprehensive coverage of the products services and information they need to guide their clients in making critical wealth The Wells Fargo branch in downtown Greenville is set to close Nov The full-service branch is located in the Wells Fargo Center at 15 S Wells Fargo will continue to maintain a presence in the building according to a statement from the bank to the Upstate Business Journal No final decision has been made at this point as to whether or not the Wells Fargo ATM will close at this location Wells Fargo closed 293 branches in 2023, according to S&P Global and ATMs,” according to the statement “We are opening new branches and investing in refurbishing our branch network we continue to optimize our branch footprint with as little impact to our customers and communities we serve as possible.” the closest Wells Fargo for downtown customers is the Greenville Lewis branch at 1714 Augusta St Additional branches and ATMs are located throughout Greenville Input your search keywords and press Enter A new Wells Fargo branch is opening in downtown Stockton this fall The branch will open at Stockton Crossroads at 17 W. Washington St. next to Dutch Bros Coffee and the Sonic Drive-In steps away from the Stockton Police Department It will serve as Stockton's main branch as the current branch on El Dorado Street is set to close next month "The Stockton Main branch will close at noon on Sept 13 and the Stockton Crossroads branch will open at 9 a.m 16," a Wells Fargo spokesperson told The Record via email on Thursday "Wells Fargo continues to invest in our branch network to serve the needs of our customers," a Wells Fargo official stated branches continue to play a vital role in Stockton." 'Committed to Stockton'The new Wells Fargo location is a long time coming the under-construction branch caught fire and burned down It's unknown how or what caused the building to burn down Wells Fargo did not respond to The Record's questions about the fire Bank of America closure: BofA branch will close permanently at Park West Place in October "The opening of our Stockton Crossroads branch is another step in creating a more modern and community-centric branch network for our customers," a Wells Fargo spokesperson said "Wells Fargo remains firmly committed to Stockton and we look forward to continuing to serve the community." For more information on Wells Fargo Stockton locations visit wellsfargo.com