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Specialty auto repair shop Solow Garage will stay on Richardson’s Interurban Street as the city aims to transition the area into an “edgy and eclectic district.” City Council unanimously approved a four-year special permit on June 8 that will allow the garage to remain in its current business location, although the city seeks to move the area away from automotive businesses long-term.

The big picture: Property owner Stephen Graham with Simple Development Partners, who recently purchased several buildings and vacant lots on Interurban, supported the garage’s permit as he presented plans to transition the Interurban area from a predominantly automobile-centered corridor into a design district.

Some context: Solow Garage is an authorized BMW collision repair center that has operated in the building under previous owners since 2012.

Quote of note: “I don’t think it’s auto use versus the vision,” Graham said. “If this permit is denied, the building sits vacant—the very outcome the corridor vision is meant to avoid. Vacancy does not create redevelopment.”

Indoor golf simulator The Back Nine Golf is on track to open in Richardson after City Council unanimously approved a special permit June 8. The Back Nine will join a 17.4-acre shopping center on Coit Road, city planner Christine Ross said.

The overview: The Back Nine Golf is a membership-based indoor golf training facility where members can access simulator technology to practice golf. The company has 200 locations across the country, including spots in Plano, Allen and McKinney. The Richardson location will be open to members 24/7, with four simulator bays that members can reserve in advance.

The Texas Education Agency released results June 10 from this year’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams.

The overview: High school students who took the year-end exams this spring made gains in all subjects, TEA data shows. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said students’ academic progress was due to “focused instruction and high expectations” in the classroom.

What you need to know: Individual STAAR results are shared through the state assessment portal. Each Texas student receives a unique access code for their results. Families can find the code on the first page of their child’s report card or contact their school, according to the TEA.

Texas public school students in third through 12th grade take the exam each spring, and it is used to measure student progress and teacher performance.

What's next: The TEA is scheduled to release STAAR scores for third- through eighth-grade students June 16.