The indoor swimming centers at Berkner High School and STEM Academy and J.J. Pearce High School are set to be renovated after Richardson ISD’s school board unanimously approved $9.4 million for the second phase of the project on Jan. 15.

What's happening: The board approved $1.8 million for the first phase of the $11.15 million project on Dec. 11, accessing funds from the 2016 bond. The first phase primarily included the purchase of equipment that needed to be constructed ahead of the renovations, such as boilers and pool conditioning equipment. The second phase, the $9.4 million that the board approved on Jan. 15, will include replacing diving equipment, pool mechanical systems, non-slip floors and other upgrades.

Some context: Both natatoriums, located in standalone buildings behind the schools, were constructed in the late 1960s. 

“We want to ensure that we have an environment where our swimmers and our divers and our coaches have a pool that is working, that is something that they can count on," Superintendent Tabitha Branum said.

Willowbrae Childcare Academy is set to bring a new location to Richardson after City Council unanimously approved a rezoning on Jan. 12.

The details: The childcare center will move into an empty building at 500 N. Coit Road. The City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval for its rezoning in December. The Richardson facility will serve children from infancy to 6 years old, with a maximum enrollment of 220 students.

A closer look: Council members and one resident expressed concerns about the traffic that would be created by drop-off and pick-up at the childcare center. Senior planner Derica Peters said city staff worked with Willowbrae to produce a traffic circulation plan that would direct parents away from the nearby neighborhood.

“Cones are easy to run over,” said Elise Dougherty, a resident who said she lived near the site. “It’s going to be difficult to keep people from going through the neighborhood.”

The North Texas region continues to prepare for the FIFA World Cup.

Nine games are scheduled from June 14 to July 14 at Dallas Stadium, which will be the temporary name of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Mitch Whitten, Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau COO, spoke at the Fort Worth Chamber Economic Impact Forum on Jan. 15 at the Kimball Art Museum on the impact of FIFA holding games in the area. 

The details: He talked about the impact of the games throughout the metroplex. Numbers from the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee expect 100,000 visitors per day, with an estimated economic impact in the region between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion.

Zooming in: TCU has applied to be a base camp for a team in the region, Whitten said, but FIFA has yet to announce, as national teams have until March to decide where they will train during the event.

FIFA has listed 64 possible base camps, but there are only 48 teams that will qualify for the World Cup.

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Some Texas film industry leaders say the state is on its way to becoming the third “media coast,” joining Los Angeles and New York as film production hubs. A recent increase in state funding is helping buoy that growth, said Chase Musslewhite, co-founder of Media for Texas, an Austin-based nonprofit that advocates for the advancement of the state’s film industry.

The details: Through 2035, $1.5 billion in state incentives will be available for movies, television shows, documentaries and related projects created in Texas.

To be eligible for the program funding under Senate Bill 22, at least 35% of a production’s cast and crew must live in Texas and at least 60% of the work must be done in-state, according to the Texas Film Commission. Grant reimbursements start at 5% and go up to 31%, depending on how much a production spends and other aspects of the project.

The local impact: After SB 22 became law Sept. 1, some local governments across Texas—including Austin, San Antonio and Houston—expanded or launched their own film incentive programs.