Progress is moving forward on the construction of the Allen Police Department’s new headquarters building.

The big picture: Allen City Council unanimously approved a $1.6 million amendment to its contract with Core Construction Services for the new Allen Police Department Headquarters at a Feb. 10 meeting. The amendment will not change the overall cost of the project, Director of Engineering Chris Flanigan said.

The specifics: The Allen Police Department will move into a new $97.1 million facility in early 2027 after voters passed an $83 million bond in 2023 to contribute funding to the project. In June, Allen City Council approved the final guaranteed maximum price of about $67.7 million, bringing the total budget to $97.1 million, city documents state. The contract amendment will include the installation and programming of all security systems within the main building, as well as the detainment area, per city documents.

This includes:

• Over 130 badge readers
• Over 123 security cameras
• Four intercom systems
• Toll tag readers
• Locks for the detention center
• Software and programming

Ideal Dental is coming soon to Allen, a company representative said.

A closer look: The business offers general dentistry, emergency dental care, orthodontics, oral surgery and more, according to the practice’s website. Ideal Dental has another Allen location at 1985 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 110.

• 1480 N. Custer Road, Ste. 120, Allen

Rawlings has opened a location in Allen, according to a news release from the Allen Premium Outlets.

What you need to know: The business offers baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls and bats, per the business’s website.

• 820 Stacy Road, Ste. 602, Allen

Allen’s Ford Park renovation project will now include an additional playground.

The big picture: Texas Parks and Wildlife awarded a $750,000 grant to the Allen Parks and Recreation Department, according to a Jan. 30 news release. The city plans to use this money to add a playground to the north section of Ford Park, Director of Parks and Recreation Kate Meacham said.

A closer look: Voters approved $17 million in bond funding to improve Ford Park in 2023. The 50-acre park is one of Allen’s oldest and is currently split into four segments, Meacham said.

“With this project, we're going to be trying to bring all four components together in one unified park,” Meacham said.

The planned improvements include:

• Pickleball courts
• Updated sports fields
• Expanded trails
• A youth activity zone
• Playpods