Eleven months ago, Forever 21 announced it would close all of its locations, including its 25,000-square-foot location that had been at Grapevine Mills mall since 2009.

The gist: On Sept. 8, the city of Grapevine and the mall announced that Bubble Planet, an interactive installation with 12 immersive, multisensory rooms, would fill that anchor spot.

Bubble Planet opened Oct. 23, becoming the seventh entertainment concept that has backfilled a retail vacancy since 2019.

More details: In November 2025, there were 821,299 visitors to the mall, compared to 782,946 in 2024, according to data from Placer AI, a firm that utilizes location data from mobile devices. The new attraction and holiday shopping mix contributed to an increase of 38,353 visitors, 4.9%, in foot traffic in year-over-year data.

This spring, Dig World will be the first attraction added to a previously vacant spot since the mall opened in 1997.

A car club, e3storage Grapevine, plans to open near Dallas Fort Worth International Airport this spring, said Clyde Hill, e3storage’s co-founder and chief operating officer.

The overview: The local location will be owned by Nate Gonzalez, Hill said. The business provides members with the ability to store their vehicles on-site and access them 24/7, according to the website. There will also be a lounge and DIY shop area.
The Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake area has an “active car culture,” Hill said, with a number of area car enthusiasts and shows.

One more thing: Hill said the Grapevine location will be the company’s 10th across the United States, and another location is set to open in McKinney this May. e3storage was

• Located off of Mustang Drive, near the south end of Main Street

Sea Life Grapevine offered a first look at the new tour based on the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Feb. 20.

The details: Visitors of the aquarium from Feb. 21-May 25 will be able to participate in photo opportunities with an aquarium-themed background with Nintendo characters such as Isabelle, Tom Nook and Blathers, according to a news release.

SeaLife will also have themed signage with information from the video game, kiosks where guests can receive 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points and meet-and-greet opportunities with in-game characters, per the release.

Meet-and-greets include: 

• K.K. Slider from Feb. 28-March 1
• Tom Nook from April 3-5

Stay informed on four road projects happening in McKinney and Flower Mound. 

Collin County

1. Bloomdale Road and Spur 195 realignment
Project: A construction and realignment project for the 4-lane Bloomdale Road will create a new connection at SH 5. A multilane roundabout will also be constructed at the intersection of Bloomdale Road and Spur 195.
Update: Design work on the project is 30% completed.

• Timeline: May 2025-late 2026 (design), construction to begin in spring 2027
• Cost: $6.6 million
• Funding source: city of McKinney

• Timeline: spring 2026-summer 2027
• Cost: $6.93 million
• Funding sources: town of Flower Mound