Roanoke City Council is taking steps toward creating a vision for Oak Street, which includes creating a corporation for the hotel convention center and development guidelines for the remaining developable lots. 

What happened?: Council approved the formation of the Roanoke Convention Center Hotel Local Development Corporation at the Dec. 9 meeting and decided to meet in early 2026 for a workshop to further discuss its overall vision for Oak Street.

City officials asked for an analysis to be done on Oak Street at the June 24 meeting to determine what changes could be made to the city’s downtown code, which hasn’t been updated since 2009, City Manager Cody Petree said. 

Catalyst Commercial representatives presented their findings Dec. 9, which included ideas for what could be developed on the remaining open lots along Oak Street.

The presenters showcased two ideas. One focused on commercial development while the other showed high-density townhomes.

Glo Tanning, a tanning franchise, is opening a new location along Keller Parkway in February.

The details: The business offers sunless tanning, tanning beds and spa services in a clean and luxurious environment, according to its website.

Some of the beds Glo Tanning offers include Vitality Total Light, which offers a 10-minute tanning session using three types of light, and the Sunrise, which allows clients to listen to a mix of music through an acoustic system in a stand-up tanning unit.

• 1637 Keller Parkway, Keller

Scoop N Scootery, a new late-night ice cream sundae shop coming to northeast Fort Worth, is expected to open in late February.

What’s new: Chief marketing officer Isabella Sidoruk said the location is in the middle of a full buildout. The business is in the process of electric work to bring in freezers and installing counter space for the register.

What they offer: Scoop N Scootery has more than 75 signature ice cream sundaes until midnight, according to previous reporting. The store is known for its cores and tunnels, where sundaes are hollowed out for a filling.

Whataburger and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will be opening new spots inside Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. There is also one eatery that is leaving the airport. 

What's happening? A lease agreement with MultiRestaurants Concepts, LTD was discussed at the DFW Airport board meeting in November, while Cane’s confirmed a new location will be coming to the airport.

According to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the $2.17 million project started Dec. 8 and has an estimated finish of June 5. The 3,102-square-foot space is listed as a remodel/conversion.

Also of note: Work has started on Raising Cane’s first airport location, which will be Terminal B, near gate 19.
The hand-battered chicken fingers restaurant, based in Plano, started work on the new location in November, according to a spokesperson.

One more thing: The board approved a lease amendment with EatZi’s, which was located in Terminal D, at gate 5. The involuntary termination was due to the result of traffic patterns for new terminal F, according to board documents.