Carrier Global Corporation, a multinational company that manufactures heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration systems, announced Oct. 22 it will invest more than $600 million into a new manufacturing and engineering center in north Fort Worth.

What’s happening? Operations at the facility are expected to begin in 2027, according to a news release. The facility will be more than 1 million square feet and create 1,500 advanced manufacturing, engineering and other jobs.

Diving deeper: During the Sept. 15 Fort Worth City Council meeting, officials voted to approve an ordinance creating a tax abatement reinvestment zone for Carrier, according to previous reporting.

As part of the tax abatement agreement, Carrier must bring 495 jobs by Dec. 31, 2029, with a minimum average salary of $75,000.

Mi Chante Mexican Cuisine, a sit-down restaurant serving authentic Mexican fare, is opening its third location in Fort Worth after seeing success in Prosper and Providence Village.

The details: Mi Chante, which is Spanish for my home, offers a modern twist on traditional Mexican dishes in a welcoming and elegant environment, according to its website.

Popular dishes include pollo Cancun, fajitas volcano, molcajete and the grande burrito. The restaurant also offers vegetarian options and $9.99 lunch combinations.

• 3300 Alliance Gateway Freeway, Ste. 140, Fort Worth 

Frost Bank will relocate and open in a brand-new financial center in Keller in early 2027.

The details: The bank currently has a location across the street at 1240 Keller Parkway, Ste. 100. Bill Day, senior vice president of corporate communications, said the existing location will be vacated and all operations will move to the new site.

Construction is underway on the 7,000-square-foot project, which was approved at a Jan. 6 Keller City Council meeting, according to previous reporting. A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing shows an estimated construction cost of $10 million.

The financial center will offer full banking services to consumer and business customers as well as investment and insurance services, according to the bank’s website.

• 1231 Keller Parkway, Keller

North Texans report greater affordability pressures, less neighborhood connectedness and unease about artificial intelligence in a new quality-of-life survey from the University of Texas at Dallas.

The overview: Researchers from the university’s School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences presented results from the 2026 William C. Short Quality of Life Survey on Oct. 21. They have conducted the survey annually since 2024 to identify issues important to North Texans and bring community members together, said Jennifer Holmes, dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

A closer look: Respondents identified inflation and prices and housing affordability and availability as the most important issues currently facing their communities.

Quote of note: “The challenge we face as a region is we need faster, more accurate, more accessible data,” project director Timothy Bray said. “We begin by listening to North Texas, asking the folks who live in our communities what they think.”

More than 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first seven days of early voting in the Nov. 3 election, state data shows.

The overview: From Oct. 19-25, 23.8% of Texas' 19 million registered voters had voted in-person or by mail, according to voter turnout data submitted by counties and reported by the secretary of state. This is slightly below early voting turnout at the same point in 2018 and several percentage points above turnout in 2022.

Some context: Turnout this fall follows voter enthusiasm during the March primary election, when more Texans voted early than in recent primaries. In total, about 4.5 million people—or one-fourth of voters registered at the time—cast ballots in Texas' March election, setting a primary turnout record.

At the polls: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county through Oct. 30, the last day of early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3. Texans can read Q&As with dozens of candidates, find local polling sites and print a custom sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.