Bay Area Edition | October 2025

Businesses return to Hwy. 146 after construction From the cover

Openings since Hwy. 146 project ended in 2024

The impact

Now open

1 Taco Bell Opened December 2024

The $214 million Texas Department of Transportation project, which began in 2019, aimed to widen the highway from six to 12 lanes and add an expressway bridge, addressing growing traffic congestion. However, the project led to dozens of businesses closing or relocating along and near the corridor. As a result, local officials are seeking to regain their reputation as an attractive beachside destination. “I think Kemah historically has been ‘Austin meets Key West,’” Kemah City Administrator Cesar Garcia said. “I think … we’ve come to realize that is our identity, and for us to own that and to market that.” Now, an economic resurgence is slowly returning to the corridor. Stephen Ross, owner of Volcano Room in Seabrook, has a similar story to Denis and Pasta Margarita. Ross is planning to open up his second restaurant in the area, named Coconut Grove, in October, and said he is encouraged by the uptick in traffic volume since the highway reopened. “Everyone seems to be driving [along Hwy. 146] again, which is encouraging, since we’re about to open,” Ross said. Coconut Grove is not an outlier. Since Hwy. 146 reopened in spring 2024, at least eight new restaurants have reopened along the corridor.

2 La Taco Station Opened July 2024

Hwy. 146 underwent construction in 2019 and reopened in the spring of 2024.

3 Tormenta Coffee Opened September 2024 4 Pizza King Kemah Opened May 2025 5 Aliberto's Mexican Food Opened June 2025

146

Seabrook

CLEAR LAKE

6 Pasta Margarita Opened August 2024 7 Lupe Tortilla Opened March 2025

GALVESTON BAY

Kemah

Coming soon

8 Coconut Grove Coming soon in 2025

518

Incentive offered

9 Tookie's Hamburgers Relocated during construction

SOURCES: GOOGLE/FACEBOOK/COMMUNITY IMPACT

2 0 2 5 2025

Digging deeper

In July, Kemah City Council unanimously approved a $200,000 loan to help expand Tookie’s if it would remain in Kemah. Tookie’s ultimately declined Seabrook’s offer to relocate, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.

2 0 2 5 2025 due to eminent domain declared during the Hwy. 146 expansion, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. Then, in June, the Seabrook Economic Devel- opment Corp. voted to offer Tookie’s a total of $600,000 in incentives to move back to Seabrook.

2 0 2 5 2025 Both Kemah and Seabrook are looking to bring in new businesses to open or relocate to their communities—an ambition that sometimes leads to the two cities competing for the same businesses. Tookie’s Hamburgers, which first opened in Seabrook in 1975, was forced to relocate to Kemah 2 0 2 5 2025

D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 5 DECEMBER 6, 2025 C h e c k - i n b e g i n s 7 : 3 0 A M Check-in begins 7:30 AM 8 : 0 0 A M 8:00 AM D O L Y E C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R DOLYE CONVENTION CENTER T E X A S C I T Y , T X TEXAS CITY, TX 1 Mile Walk Registration: $25 Adults $15 Children 12 & under 1 M i l e W a l k R e g i s t r a t i o n : $ 2 5 A d u l t s $ 1 5 C h i l d r e n 1 2 & u n d e r Includes Walker’s Kit: Jingle Bell Walk Medal CASA Cup Certificate of Completion 1 raffle ticket (additional tickets $5) I n c l u d e s W a l k e r ’ s K i t : J i g l e B e l l W a l k M e d a l C A S A C u p C e r t i f i c a t e o f C o m p l e t i o n 1 r a f f l e t i c k e t ( a d d i t i o n a l t i c k e t s $ 5 ) d u l t s ,

Complete a 1 mile walk and support our critical mission!

D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 5 DECEMBER 6, 2025 C h e c k - i n b e g i n s 7 : 3 0 A M Check-in begins 7:30 AM 8 : 0 0 A M 8:00 AM D O L Y E C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R DOLYE CONVENTION CENTER T E X A S C I T Y , T X TEXAS CITY, TX 1 M i l e W a l k R e g i s t r a t i o n : $ 2 5 A d u l t s $ 1 5 C h i l d r e n 1 2 & u n d e r 1 Mile Walk Registration: $25 Adults $15 Children 12 & under I n c l u d e s W a l k e r ’ s K i t : J i n g l e B e l l W a l k M e d a l C A S A C u p C e r t i f i c a t e o f C o m p l e t i o n 1 r a f f l e t i c k e t ( a d d i t i o n a l t i c k e t s $ 5 ) Includes Walker’s Kit: Jingle Bell Walk Medal CASA Cup Certificate of Completion 1 raffle ticket (additional tickets $5)

Complete a 1 mile walk and support our critical mission!

D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 5 DECEMBER 6, 2025 C h e c k - i n b e g i n s 7 : 3 0 A M Check-in begins 7:30 AM N E N T I N E N T E DOLYE CONVENTION CENTER T E I T , T TEXAS CITY, TX 8 : 0 0 A M 8:00 AM 8 : 0 0 A M D O L Y E C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R DOLYE CONVENTION CENTER T E X A S C I T Y , T X TEXAS CITY, TX 1 M i l e W a l k R e g i s t r a t i o n : $ 2 5 A d u l t s $ 1 5 C h i l d r e n 1 2 & u n d e r 1 Mile Walk Registration: $25 Adults $15 Children 12 & under I n c l u d e s W a l k e r ’ s K i t : J i n g l e B e l l W a l k M e d a l C A S A C u p C e r t i f i c a t e o f C o m p l e t i o n Includes Walker’s Kit: Jingle Bell Walk Medal CASA Cup Certificate of Completion 1 raffle ticket (additional tickets $5) Includes Walker’s Kit: Jingle Bell Walk Medal CASA Cup Certificate of Completion 1 raffle ticket (additional tickets $5) 1 r a f f l e t i c k e t ( a d d i t i o n a l t i c k e t s $ 5 ) I n c l u d e s W a l k e r ’ s K i t : J i n g l e B e l l W a l k M e d a l C A S A C u p C e r t i f i c a t e o f C o m p l e t i o n 1 r a f l e t i c k e t ( a d i t i o n a l t i c k e t s $ 5 ) L E 1 1 Mile Walk Registration: $25 Adults $15 Children 12 & under i l e a l k e g i s t r a t i o n : $ 2 5 $ 1 5 h i l d r e n 1 2 u n d e r c - i g i s : Check-in begins 7:30 AM

Complete a 1 mile walk and support our critical mission! Complete a 1 mile walk and support our critical mission!

S p o n s o r s h i p s A v a i l a b l e ! Sponsorships Available!

S p o n s o r s h i p s A v a i l a b l e ! Sponsorships Available! S p o n s o r s h i p s A v a i l a b l e ! Sponsorships Available!

I n c l u d e s W a l k e r ’ s K i t : J i n g l e B e l l W a l k M e d a l C A S A C u p C e r t i f i c a t e o f C o m p l e t i o n 1 r a f f l e t i c k e t ( a d d i t i o n a l t i c k e t s $ 5 ) Includes Walker’s Kit: Jingle Bell Walk Medal CASA Cup Certificate of Completion 1 raffle ticket (additional tickets $5)

F a m i l y & P e t F r i e n d l y Family & Pet Friendly P i c t u r e s w i t h S a n t a ! Pictures with Santa!

H o t C o c o a B a r & S n a c k s Hot Cocoa Bar & Snacks

F a m i l y & P e t F r i e n d l y Family & Pet Friendly

R a f f l e G i v e a w a y s ! Raffle Giveaways! H o t C o c o a B a r & S n a c k s Hot Cocoa Bar & Snacks Raffle Giveaways!

F a m i l y & P e t F r i e n d l y Family & Pet Friendly Pictures with Santa!

H o t C o c o a B a r & S n a c k s Hot Cocoa Bar & Snacks

H o t C o c o a B a r & S n a c k s Hot Cocoa Bar & Snacks Hot Cocoa Bar & Snacks P i c t u r e s w i t h S a n t a ! Pictures with Santa!

Family & Pet Friendly F a m i l y & P e t F r i e n d l y Family & Pet Friendly i t h S a n t a ! Pictures with Santa! P i c t u r e s w i t h S a n t a ! Pictures with Santa! P i c t u r e s

R a f f l e G i v e a w a y s ! Raffle Giveaways!

CASAgalveston.org/jinglebellwalk R a f f l e G i v e a w a y s ! Raffle Giveaways! R a f l e G i v e a a y s ! Raffle Giveaways! C A S A g a l v e s t o n . o r g / j i n g l e b e l l w a l k CASAgalveston.org/jinglebellwalk

C A S A g a l v e s t o n . o r g / j i n g l e b e l l w a l k CASAgalveston.org/jinglebellwalk

C A S A g a l v e s t o n . o r g / j i n g l e b e l l w a l k CASAgalveston.org/jinglebellwalk l t . r j i l l l

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