Roundup: See 6 development updates in Prosper, Celina
Check out some recent development updates coming out of Prosper and Celina, including a proposed 374-acre housing development off Parvin Road and a new development near downtown Celina. This list is not comprehensive, and details are subject to change.
Prosper 1. Prosper council approves additional housing for Gates of Prosper development An amended development plan approved by Prosper Town Council will add 600 multifamily apartments and 150 single-family lots to the Gates of Prosper. At an Aug. 26 meeting, Prosper Town Council approved amending housing development plans for the Gates of Prosper, with Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Chris Kern and council member Marcus Ray voting against the changes.
Celina 2. The Heights at Uptown now open in Celina The Heights is part of the broader Uptown development, which includes several neighborhoods, such as La Terra at Uptown, The Ranch at Uptown and North Square at Uptown. The community is still being built but it is set to include more than 400 single-family homes when completed.
Barnes & Noble sets opening date for Prosper store
Barnes & Noble’s new Prosper location is set to open in February next year, according to its website.
Zooming in: The new store will be located within the Gates of Prosper development, and it will feature a cafe. Barnes & Noble sells a wide selection of books, magazines, DVDs and records.
UNT partners with North Texas colleges to launch new workforce development plan
University of North Texas President Harrison Keller announced the Texas Talent Accelerator, a program designed to better develop and match workforce talent with employers, during a Sept. 4 panel event at UNT’s Frisco Campus.
In a nutshell: The Accelerator aims to optimize education and job training to meet labor demands in the growing North Texas economy, Keller said.
“We have rising sectors in financial services, supply chain and logistics, healthcare, film and entertainment,” Keller said. “We have the most top-tier higher education institutions of any of the metro areas. ... We have all the pieces of the puzzle, but we need to connect them more strategically.”
Cellphone ban, library materials: 8 new Texas laws impacting public schools
When Texas students returned to school in August, some substantial changes awaited them.
The overview:
House Bill 2 increases state funding for public schools by $8.4 billion.
House Bill 1481 prohibits students from using cellphones and other personal communication devices throughout the school day.
Senate Bill 12 requires parental consent for students to receive "medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment" on campus.
Senate Bill 13 gives parents and school boards more oversight of library materials.
House Bill 6 gives teachers more discretion to remove repeatedly disruptive or violent students from class.
Senate Bill 10 requires most schools to display donated posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Senate Bill 11 allows districts to set aside time for students and staff to pray or read religious texts at school.
Senate Bill 965 codifies school employees' rights to "engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty."
The context: The sweeping changes come after lawmakers passed what state leaders have called “transformative” education laws during this year’s regular legislative session, which ended June 2.
