Plano is starting to see the effects of a recently approved state law meant to boost apartment development.

Two-minute impact: Senate Bill 840 was approved last legislative session and went into effect Sept. 1. It allows multifamily residential developments in all nonresidential zoning districts by right.

There are currently three planned multifamily developments under SB 840 submitted to the city, Plano Director of Planning Christina Day said, accounting for 827 incoming apartment units. Two of the developments are on the north and south sides of Mapleshade Drive, while the third is located in northwest Plano.

Diving deeper: Lawmakers cited a need for more housing across the state when passing SB 840.

Demand for housing in Plano is expected to outpace supply by 2,228 units by 2027, according to the city’s most recent housing needs study, completed last June.

“SB 840 will offer a lot of development opportunities,” local developer William Cravens said. “It would open up many vacant and unusable properties to viable commercial development.”

Jeremiah's Italian Ice is set to open a new Plano location, according to a project filed with TDLR.

The details: The frozen dessert store offers over 40 flavors of Italian ice, soft-serve ice cream and gelati, which combines the two treats.

Construction on the new site is set to begin and July and finish in September, according to the filing.

The World Cup is heading to the Dallas-Fort Worth region this summer, and leading up to the event, Frisco is preparing to host the Swedish national team. 

Although the matches will be played in Arlington, Frisco is positioning itself to be a key player in the area, officials said. Frisco is one of two base camps in the area, it will host several fan events and is the home to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. 

Zooming in: Teams will arrive in Frisco in early June to train and practice at their designated facility, said Monica Paul, president of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee. She said there may not be a lot of fans traveling to base camps, but it’s going to generate increased tax dollars for the city by just having a team staying locally.

Quote of note: “I hope [for] the families and the kids that get to experience it here in just a couple months that it creates one of those lifelong memories,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said.

Stay informed on five transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

1. Legacy Drive improvements
Project: The project will widen Legacy Drive to four lanes between Carey Road and Punk Carter Parkway and make improvements to the intersection of Legacy Drive and FM 428.
Update: Celina City Council approved a two-year contract for detailed design services at a May 12 meeting.

• Timeline: estimated completion December 2030
• Cost: $2.6 million
• Funding source: city of Celina

• Timeline: service starting late 2029
• Cost: $167 million
• Funding source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Trinity Metro, North Central Texas Council of Governments