A 250-unit Watermere independent living facility in Plano is set to move forward with development following approval from City Council.

The facility will be going in at the former site of Plano Athletic Club, a gym at 4600 W. Park Blvd. which closed last year.

What you need to know: The facility will feature a parking garage on the lower level and four floors of residential units on top. The building could be as tall as 65 feet. There will also be a 2,000-square-foot dog park.

The property is part of a 108-acre planned development district that encompasses most of the Preston Park Village shopping center, and caps buildings at two stories. A change in zoning was needed in order to lift the height restrictions, Plano Planning Director Christina Day said.

Walmart plans to remodel 72 stores across Texas, including several in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to a news release from the company. 

What’s happening? The stores that will see updates this year include: 

• Allen Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1520 E. Exchange Parkway, Allen
• Denton Walmart Supercenter, 2750 W. University Drive, Denton
• McKinney Walmart Neighborhood Market, 3400 Virginia Parkway, McKinney
• Plano Walmart Supercenter, 8801 Ohio Drive, Plano
• Fort Worth Walmart Supercenter, 3851 Airport Freeway, Fort Worth

Check out five road projects happening around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Denton County

Bonnie Brae Street Phase 6

Project: Workers will widen the road with two additional lanes and a pedestrian and bike path alongside the road in Denton. The phase is part of a multiyear seven-phase expansion project.

Update: Contractors began work to modify the soil in preparation for the roadway expansion at the northern part of Bonnie Brae Street.

• Timeline: January 2025-April 2027
• Cost: $38 million
• Funding sources: city of Denton, Denton County

Texas is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, with one January report projecting that the state will see a 142% increase in its share of the data center industry by the end of 2028.

During a wide-ranging Texas House hearing April 9, lawmakers questioned data center developers, energy companies and state grid officials about the amount of water the large facilities use; how they impact noise levels and air quality; and whether residents can expect higher costs when data centers come to their communities.

What they're saying: “Water is a really scarce resource in this state, and so we have to have a clear picture of what these facilities use on the water side,” said Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

More details: Data centers use water to cool their computer servers and prevent overheating. The facilities have historically used a water-intensive process known as "evaporative cooling," but data center executives said April 9 that they have transitioned to “closed-loop” systems where water is continuously reused.