Construction is underway at Sloan Corners, a roughly $3 billion mixed-use development project spanning 480 acres across Allen and Fairview.

What's happening: The project by Dallas-based Billingsley Co. will feature apartments, retail, restaurants and office space, Billingsley Co. founder and partner Lucy Billingsley said. Mayor Baine Brooks said the project “aligns perfectly” with Allen’s long-term vision.

“The location...makes it a natural gateway into our city,” Brooks said in an email. “That intersection has been planned for mixed-use and employment development for more than 20 years, and Sloan Corners helps bring that vision to life.”

The impact: Sloan Corners is located on some of the last undeveloped land within city limits and is at a highly visible intersection, which Allen Economic Development Corp. President Dan Bowman said makes it a significant project for the community. The project will also create tax revenue that can help cover city costs, such as infrastructure and maintenance, which eases the property tax burden on residents, Bowman said.

Global lifestyle retailer Miniso is now open in The Village at Allen.

The gist: The roughly 10,500-square-foot Allen store offers items in the company’s 10 product categories, including apparel, electronics, home goods, stationery and more. Miniso offers over 10,000 products, including collaborations with brands such as Barbie, Minecraft, Harry Potter and more, its website states.

• 170 E. Stacy Road, Unit 2314, Allen

Looking for events to fill the calendar with this April? Check out these 8 events around the Allen area.

1. Allen Americans: Catch an Allen Americans game at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Opponents slated for games in April include the Greensboro Gargoyles, Wichita Thunder and Tahoe Knight Monsters.

• April 3, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 18, 7 p.m.
• $35+
• 200 E. Stacy Road, Ste. 1350, Allen

• Every Saturday from April 4-June 27, 7-9 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 970 Garden Park Drive, Allen

• April 18, 7 a.m.-noon
• Free (admission)
• 1201 E. Bethany Drive, Allen

The Texas power grid is undergoing “generational” growth, experts said during the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ annual summit March 31 in Round Rock. Much of that growth is due to data centers—an industry under scrutiny from state lawmakers as some Texas communities push back against proposed developments.

The big picture: Over 2,000 projects totaling 453,000 megawatts are currently looking to connect to the state grid, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said April 1. About 357,000 megawatts of those connection requests are potential data centers, ERCOT documents show.

Looking ahead: Communities should take the lead on discussions about individual data center projects, Vegas told reporters. He said that when “communities that are ready to support those investments,” ERCOT is prepared to help data centers connect to the grid.

During a March 31 discussion on data centers, panelists noted that the projects have an “increasingly high” negative reputation in communities across the state. Austin consultant Eric Goff said developers often need to make commitments to local residents to earn their support for data center proposals.