The McKinney Community Development Corp. awarded 16 grants in July for local events that will be hosted in the coming year.

In a nutshell: The MCDC board of directors awarded $125,470 through the corporation’s Promotional and Community Event Grants program during a July 23 meeting. The money is being awarded to 16 organizers of local events held in McKinney throughout the year, according to an MCDC news release.

MCDC’s promotional grants provide up to $15,000 for initiatives, activities and events that promote the city and attract visitors, according to its website.

Quote of note: In a statement, MCDC board chair George Fuller said “successful community events begin with strong community participation.” Effective marketing “plays an important role” in that, he said.

"These grants give organizations additional resources to promote their events more effectively, bringing more people together to experience everything McKinney has to offer,” Fuller said.

Mom and Popcorn, a local sweets store in downtown McKinney, celebrated its 20th anniversary on July 22, co-owner Wendy Rodgers said.

In a nutshell: the store sells more than 50 flavors of popcorn that are made in-house, Rodgers said. Flavors include blueberry, buffalo ranch, caramel and kettle, according to its website. Mom and Popcorn also sells nostalgic candy, vintage sodas, fudge, truffles and macarons, Rodgers said.

• 215 E. Louisiana St., McKinney

American Express will expand its Centurion Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The $35 million project, according to a state filing, will expand and renovate the lounge into a neighboring space near Gate D12 at Terminal D at DFW Airport.

The details: The expansion will make the lounge nearly 50% larger, adding more seating, a new dining area, a walk-up ice cream window and a second full-service bar, according to a news release.

The expected opening will be in 2027, according to a news release. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings show an estimated completion date for the 18,000-square-foot project of Nov. 19, 2027.

“American Express has long been at the forefront of the airport lounge experience, and we continue to build on that legacy and raise the bar as we grow our network,” said Audrey Hendley, American Express Travel president.

The background: The American Express Centurion Lounge at DFW Airport opened on Sept. 27, 2018.

• 2333 S. International Parkway, Terminal D, Gate 12, DFW Airport

A new James Avery location is coming to Denton, and a pool supply store will start construction in Trophy Club. Check out five of the latest construction permits filed around the metroplex.

3400 at Cityline renovation
A corporate office space at 3400 at Cityline, an office park, will undergo about $12 million in renovations, according to TDLR documents. The documents state the project will cover about 36,000 square feet and cost $12 million. 

• Location: 3400 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 470, Richardson
• Estimated timeline: Aug. 31-Dec. 31
• Estimated cost: $12 million

• Location: 1732 S. Loop 288, Ste. 100, Denton
• Estimated timeline: Sept. 28, 2026-Jan. 11 2027
• Estimated cost: $423,800

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.