A ribbon-cutting and open house was held Jan. 14 for the Gary and Cynthia Blankenship Business Center, the new addition to the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce.

It has been a project nearly six years in the making, said Theresa Mason, the 2018 board of directors chair for the chamber.

“In 2014, at our board retreat, that was when we first recognized we had a need to expand this building and this chamber,” Mason said.

The expansion project adds another 3,900 square feet of space. It will be available for chamber committee meetings and businesses to rent, Mason said.

Trinity Commercial Construction and architect Ed Yost, managing principal of Carrell Partners & Yost Architecture, worked together to complete the project, she said.


A wall painted with the names of project donors features prominently on one side of the room.

The addition was named for sponsors Gary and Cynthia Blankenship, who spoke at the celebratory event. The Blankenships are the executives of Bank of the West, a community bank in Grapevine.

“To say the least, Cynthia and I are very proud to be part of this and very humbled,” Gary Blankenship said. “But really, we’re humbled by the fact that so many of you are on this wall [of donors]. ... We’re glad to be able to make a contribution here, and we’re very proud to be a part of it.”

The chamber has raised about 60% of the funds it needs and is still accepting donations.