Mornin’ DFW,

I’m actually going to start today’s newsletter off by taking us to Houston for a second. One of their local television stations is reporting on the demolition of an old mall, reportedly used for the long-proposed Texas high-speed rail. 👀

Plans for a high-speed rail line between DFW and Houston appeared to have stalled in 2024. City councils debated the route’s location, whether it would be partly underground, and where the DFW station would be. And while we haven’t heard much since, the Houston demo, said to take a year, is a sign that something is moving along.

How have you felt about this proposed train? Whenever it’s done, would you take it instead of driving between the two metros? Let me know below. 

(Cruss20/Shutterstock)

By Sam Cohen

The idea of Grand Park has seemed more like a myth than an eventual reality to many Frisco residents. DallasPartyof2 wrote on Instagram that it was “20 years in the making,” but it seems like the 1,000-acre park will end up being worth the wait. If, for some reason, 1,000 acres doesn’t seem like a lot to you, Chron put things into perspective by pointing out that New York City’s famed Central Park is only 843 acres in total. Just, you know, for a general comparison. The new Grand Park will stretch from FM 243 in Frisco to Dallas North Tollway to Lake Lewisville and encompass five distinct hubs. The first of which will be Civic Park.

Phase One of construction—AKA the establishment of Civic Park—officially began yesterday and is expected to be completed sometime in 2027. The groundbreaking announcement came several months after Frisco City Council unanimously approved Crossland Construction’s contract to handle the initial stages of the project on October 7. This particular hub will be around 68 acres and take roughly $43.4 million to build.

🕵️ Who’s missing their kangaroo? A mobile coffee shop owner was on her way from Abilene to Hood County’s Lipan for an event when her car broke down on I-20, just outside of Gordon. And that’s when she saw it—a kangaroo hopping along the service road. Finding the owner is proving difficult, as the state requires no special paperwork to own the animal. (NBC 5)

🙅‍♀️ Insufficient funds: The city of Dallas has exceeded its fiscal year budget by more than $16 million, and officials have blamed a large chunk of that on fire and police department overtime, as well as increased medical claims from city employees. Here’s how the city plans to make cuts and what the Dallas Police Association said in response. (Fox 4)

🚒 Fire department shortage: If a fire breaks out in the city of Lancaster, it might be a while before firefighters show up. The Lancaster Firefighters Association has seen a constant staffing shortage—there’s no issue recruiting firefighters, they just don’t stay long. Learn more here.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting by Sam Cohen. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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