The growth in the Alliance area of Fort Worth has yielded a return on investment in the billions.

The gist: Mike Berry, president at Hillwood, a commercial and real estate development company, provided the yearly AllianceTexas update to the Fort Worth City Council during a work session meeting Feb. 24.

He said the economic impact in 2025 was $12.9 billion, and the estimated regional economic impact since opening 36 years ago is $142.9 billion.

“So from the standpoint of the city and the region, we hope it simply continues to grow,” Berry said.

Total investment in AllianceTexas reached $18.3 billion in 2025, including $16.7 billion from the private sector and $1.6 billion in public investment such as roads, schools, public safety facilities and other infrastructure, according to a news release.

The specific: AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre master-planned mixed-use development, has 602 companies and supports more than 73,000 jobs, the news release states.

According to the previous reporting, Alliance accounted for 590 companies and 66,000 jobs in October.

A new art studio is opening in Old Town Keller in March to offer art classes for all skill levels.

The gist: Owner Jacinda Boneau said her classes at Jacinda Studio will focus on making art approachable. The studio will offer classes for a number of mediums such as acrylic, watercolor, candle painting and bottle painting.

There will also be classes on needlepointing, an embroidery technique to make a homemade decoration, piece of clothing or accessory.

• 139 S. Elm St., Keller

Check out eight events in Keller, Roanoke and northeast Fort Worth, including a mother-son game night, Easter egg hunt and fishing in the park.

Heartfulness Meditation: Meditate with experienced trainers and learn the benefits of meditation at the Roanoke Public Library. This event is for teens and adults ages 16 and up, and no experience is necessary.

• March 3, 6-6:45 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 308 S. Walnut St., Roanoke

• March 7, 4:30-6 p.m. for ages 4-7; 7:30-9 p.m. for ages 8-12
• $20 per person
• 640 Johnson Road, Keller

A zoning change could convert 37 acres to an apartment community in McKinney. Meanwhile, 15 North Texas spring festivals are happening soon.

Check out this list of trending stories from Community Impact's Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas:

• Richardson ISD expected to see continued enrollment decline over next 10 years
• Recommendation for zoning change could bring new McKinney apartment community
• Texas Health Resources to open McKinney hospital campus in 2028
• Q&A: Meet the Democratic primary candidates for US House District 4
• Tall tales, Cajun cuisine: 15 North Texas festivals and events to check out this spring
• Frisco City Council considers new rules for public input

Texas’ newest state park is opening its gates for a soft opening at the beginning of March, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news release.

The details: The March 1 opening of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park gives early park access to guests ahead of the grand opening, which will be announced at a later date. The park’s website states “final touches are ongoing” and guests might see some construction. 

The park is roughly 75 miles west of Dallas-Fort Worth and encompasses 4,871 acres of former ranch land to hike, bike and fish. Trails lead to remote areas of the park with vista views, lakeside experiences and a variety of campsites, including RV sites, according to previous reporting.

The backstory: Land for the park was purchased in 2011 after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department partnered with The Nature Conservancy to buy land for a new state park, according to previous reporting.

• 100 Park Road #77, Strawn

Dozens of Texans shared their feedback Feb. 25 on the current phase of a lengthy revision of the state’s social studies curriculum standards. Parents, educators and students urged the State Board of Education to slow the revision process down and give those drafting the new curriculum more time to work.

The overview: The state is currently overhauling the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for social studies, which are the standards dictating what public school students should learn at each grade level. The board is expected to adopt the new standards this summer before they are rolled out to classrooms in 2030.

“We have one opportunity to get this right for an entire generation of students,” said Meghan Dougherty, an Austin-area social studies specialist involved in the revision process.

Zooming in: Several educators involved in drafting the new curriculum plan said current proposals included "too much content" with a heavy emphasis on Texas history, while some appointed content advisers and SBOE members argued schools should teach lessons focused on "American exceptionalism [and] Texan exceptionalism."