$40M community park nears completion, UNT to close programs: 6 trending Dallas-Fort Worth stories

Discover more details from Senior Editor Samantha Douty.

2. 3 McKinney ISD schools to see $4.8M investment in renovations this summer

The McKinney ISD board of trustees approved spending over $4.8 million on the next phase of renovations to Bennett Elementary School, Evans Middle School and McKinney Boyd High School. The majority of the projects will begin after the 2025-26 school year is completed May 21.

Read here from Reporter Mary Katherine Shapiro.

3. Demolition of former McKinney City Hall expected to start in April

Public infrastructure work in the area is expected to occur in two phases.The first phase is expected to start in late 2026 and end in late 2027. The second phase is expected to start in early 2028 and end in late 2028. That work will include road reconstruction, restriping and utility work. Preliminary conversations are underway with McKinney Economic Development Corp. on developing an office building at the former city hall site.

See more details from Senior Reporter Colby Farr.

4. Frisco's $40M Northwest Community Park nears June completion

Northwest Community Park is the latest project coming to fruition in Frisco. Construction on the park is expected to be completed by June. The project is right on schedule for the 18-month construction window, which started January 2025. The 122-acre park will include bike facilities for all ages, a splash pad, playgrounds, public art, shade structures, observation deck, miles of hike-and-bike trails and expanding landscape ecologies.

Get the complete picture from Senior Editor Samantha Douty.

5. University of North Texas to end, consolidate programs as university faces $45M budget shortfall

The University of North Texas plans to phase out or consolidate several programs as the university faces a $45 million budget shortfall. UNT plans to phase out 25 minor programs, including Africana studies, LGBTQ studies, Peace studies and Women's and Gender studies. The university will also end its undergraduate major of Latino and Latin American Studies. Some language minors will also be cut, including Arabic, Italian and Latin.

There’s more to the story—read it here from Reporter Hannah Johnson.

6. Plano to buy Harrington House for $2M nonprofit hub

The city of Plano is set to spend $2 million on Harrington Homestead, a historic house on 3.88 acres of land near US 75. City officials plan to use the land to build a facility that will house ConnectPlano—a hub for nonprofit organizations in the city—while maintaining the original character of the property. The facility will provide office space at subsidized rates for nonprofit organizations that offer services in Plano. ConnectPlano will also manage day-to-day operations like maintenance, security, technology and the reception area.

Read on to find out more from Reporters Jacquelyn Burrer and Jenna Stephenson.