DTX-GCS: Impact 10/7/2025

Fransen Pittman Construction was awarded the contract for a Grapevine water and wastewater plant building improvements project.

The Colorado-based company with a Southlake location was awarded a guaranteed maximum price contract for $20.75 million for the construction at the Sept. 16 meeting.

The details: The project includes two new administration buildings, one located at the water treatment plant and another at the wastewater treatment plant. The proposed project also includes new maintenance facilities at both sites. Construction is scheduled to start in October and is expected to be completed within 18 months, according to city documents.

What else?: The cost of water and wastewater will also increase, in part due to the construction costs of system improvements and existing operating expenses, according to city documents. The proposed water rate will go from $5.02 per 1,000 gallons to $6.68 per 1,000 gallons, and the sewer rate will increase from $4.76 per 1,000 gallons to $6.27 per 1,000 gallons.

Firelife Church will be moving into a vacant spot at the Vineyard Marketplace in Grapevine.

The overview: The Grapevine City Council approved a special use permit during the Sept. 16 meeting for the church that is currently based in Irving.
The permit approved was to allow a 185-seat church into the former Luv 2 Play indoor playground space in a community commercial district.

Rev. Jared Patterson said the church has signed a three-year lease, which was contingent on the city approving the special permit and the certificate of occupancy being issued by the city.

Quote of note: “We have members that live in the city, members that live in Colleyville and the HEB [Hurst, Euless, Bedford] area,” Patterson said. “Grapevine was right in the center of our congregants, where they live, so we know this is the perfect location.

The setup: Patterson said the services in Grapevine will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sundays; from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

According to a Sept. 26 press release, Target has launched a first-of-its-kind accessible self-checkout experience designed for guests with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.

The self-checkouts will roll out nationwide beginning this holiday season and in early 2026 as part of Target's ongoing checkout improvements, according to the release.

What to expect: Per the release, the innovation is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are visually impaired while supporting those with motor disabilities.

The technology works with Target’s existing self-checkout system and includes:

• Braille and high-contrast button icons
• A headphone jack with adjustable volume controls
• Physical navigation buttons and a dedicated information key

All Texas retailers are barred from selling consumable THC products to customers under 21 years old after the Texas Department of State Health Services adopted two emergency rules Oct. 3.

The details: The new rules, which took effect immediately, state that businesses may lose their hemp licenses for selling THC products to minors.

Ten days earlier, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved emergency rules prohibiting bars, liquor stores and other alcohol retailers from selling THC products to anyone under 21. A TABC spokesperson told Community Impact the two state agencies are working together to enforce a Sept. 10 executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott, who called for age restrictions on THC sales and tighter guardrails on the multibillion-dollar industry.

More context: Approximately 8,000 businesses are licensed by the DSHS to sell consumable hemp products in Texas, including some retailers that also sell alcohol.

The emergency rules from both agencies will be in effect for 120 days and could be extended for an additional 60 days while permanent regulations are drafted.