Richardson ISD is eying a 2029 opening for the district’s new Environmental Science Center and a 2030 opening for a Career and Technical Education center. District officials laid out the design and construction timelines for both projects, which will be funded by the 2025 bond, at the Aug. 6 school board meeting.

The overview: While RISD’s middle school transformation remains the priority for the first two years of the bond, the district is in planning stages for other major bond projects, Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. Design work is scheduled to begin this school year for both projects.

Looking ahead: The CTE center, which will be constructed near the RISD Operations Center on Greenville Avenue, is projected to open in August 2030. The district will renovate the existing Environmental Science Center in addition to constructing a new facility nearby. The renovated center will open in fall 2027, while the new building is set to open in fall 2029.

Ajeena Mediterranean Café & Bakery is set to open on Sept. 15 in Richardson, owner Abdul Rahman confirmed in an email.

The overview: Rahman said the café is rooted in Palestinian and Lebanese heritage and will offer a mix of traditional and modern Mediterranean cuisine, including sweet and savory baked goods. The name “Ajeena” means dough, Rahman said in an email, and the café’s specialties will include freshly baked mana’eesh, a Levantine flatbread.

“Beyond its food, Ajeena emphasizes community and hospitality, aiming to create a welcoming space where guests can gather and connect,” Rahman said.

• 515 W. Campbell Road, Ste. 109, Richardson

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. East Hudgins Street utility work

Project: Work crews will install 1,500 feet of 8-inch water main and 1,500 feet of 8-inch sewer main along the roadway between South Dooley Street and South Main Street in Grapevine. Following completion of the installation, crews will reconstruct Hudgins.

Update: Grapevine City Council approved a contract worth up to $660,000 with Fort Worth-based RUTS Construction during a July 21 meeting.

• Timeline: mid-August-November
• Cost: $660,000
• Funding source: city of Grapevine

• Timeline: late 2024-fall 2026
• Cost: $31.1 million
• Funding sources: city of Frisco, external funding

The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport board of directors approved the purchase of the Hyatt Regency DFW Hotel during the Aug. 6 meeting.

The transaction, approved by the Public Facility Improvement Corp. on July 29, is for an amount not to exceed $193.65 million from Woodlake HRDFW Hotel Owners, LLC for the property at 2334 N. International Parkway.

The details: The Public Facility Improvement Corp., or PFIC, will assume the lease between the hotel and the DFW Airport Board. The final approval will need to be approved by the owner cities, Fort Worth and Dallas, according to documents.

The 40-year lease on the facility had an initial term that started Oct. 23, 1986, with two 20-year extensions and a 19-year extension that follows.

Zooming in: This would be the fourth hotel operated by the PFIC at DFW Airport. According to documents, the group also operates and manages The Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Hyatt Place Hotel and the Hyatt House Hotel, which is scheduled to open in 2027.