A new McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant is expected to open near the intersection of Virginia Parkway and Hardin Boulevard after city officials granted a specific use permit in January.

What happened: McKinney City Council members approved a specific use permit for a new drive-thru restaurant at 3300 Virginia Parkway during a Jan. 6 meeting. It was the same permit request tabled in September after some council members expressed concerns about drivers exiting the property to make a left turn onto Virginia Parkway.

Council members eventually approved the permit request in a 4-3 vote after a motion to deny it failed. Council members Geré Feltus, Rick Franklin and Michael Jones voted against approval.

The background: The McDonald’s restaurant will be located between a Walmart Neighborhood Market and Bonnie Wenk Park. The property is currently zoned as a planned development district that requires a specific use permit to operate a drive-thru restaurant.

Council members had previously considered and denied a similar request for the restaurant at the same location in 2024.

Simply South is set to open in McKinney in January, a company representative said.

What they will serve: The menu will feature Indian vegetarian dishes including a variety of idly dishes. Idly is a south Indian rice and lentil cake. Other options include paneer tikka kebabs and butter naan.

• 4781 S. Custer Road, McKinney

The TPC Craig Ranch golf course has reopened to club members after renovations, a media representative confirmed in an email.

The specifics: World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins led design efforts to revamp and completely overhaul the existing course. The project included turf enhancements, a complete redesign and repositioning of the bunkers, and updates to irrigation and drainage.

The context: Renovations kicked off after conclusion of the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament in May. TPC Craig Ranch has hosted the PGA Tour event every year since 2021. Tournament stakeholders announced a five-year extension in June that will keep the event in McKinney through 2030.

• 8000 Collin McKinney Parkway, McKinney

Two renovations are coming to Terminal D at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

What's happening? The primary terminal for international travel will get additional security check-ins and screening options.

Swinerton Builders was selected to add two lanes to the central passenger screening checkpoint, 19 self-service bag drops and 42 self-service check-in kiosks. The $8.6 million contract started late last year and has a 390-day construction window.

Additional security checkpoints will help improve customer experience, meet the demand of international passengers and support the first phase of Terminal F, which is still under construction, according to documents.

Zooming in: During the Jan. 8 DFW board meeting, an amended contract with Allied Universal Security of Irving was approved for unarmed security and gate attendant services throughout DFW Airport.

The revised amount of $1.25 million was approved for future airport projects and the support may be temporary or permanent, according to meeting documents.

Catch up on some of the biggest news out of Community Impact's Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas from Jan. 5-9.

1. AT&T to build new 54-acre global headquarters campus in Plano: AT&T is planning to relocate its global headquarters to a new 54-acre campus in Plano’s Legacy District. The new headquarters will be located at 5400 Legacy Drive, which is part of the former Ross Perot Electronic Data Systems campus at the intersection of Parkwood Boulevard and Legacy Drive.

2. McKinney Sunset Amphitheater now projected to open in 2027: Venu, the owner and developer behind the McKinney Sunset Amphitheater, is now targeting a completion date in 2027 instead of 2026. The $300 million project is already under construction after officials broke ground in June. The amphitheater was expected to debut in time for the 2026 touring season; however, the updated schedule now expects final completion in September 2027.