April Towery

April Towery is former News Development Director for CandysDirt.com and covers Dallas City Hall. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and has been an award-winning reporter and editor for more than 25 years.

Controversial Pepper Square Plan to Go Before City Plan Commission in August 

By April Towery / July 22, 2024 /

A proposal for 1,500 housing units at District 11’s Pepper Square mixed-use development has reportedly been revised and will go before the Dallas Plan Commission for a vote on Aug. 8.  As zoning cases adjacent to single-family homes are prone to do, this one has strong opposition.  Following an acrimonious neighborhood meeting in early March,…

City Hall Roundup: New Dallas Planning Director Emily Liu Promises Good Change is Coming

By April Towery / July 21, 2024 /

Emily Liu arrived in Dallas less than two months ago to lead the Department of Planning and Urban Design, which has been at the forefront of the controversial ForwardDallas comprehensive land use plan and a development code overhaul.  She may have gotten more than she bargained for. In a short time, Liu has seen a…

Palladium USA Project OK’d for South Loop 12; Could Bring More Housing for Senior Citizens

By April Towery / July 19, 2024 /

Dallas plan commissioners recommended last week approving a rezoning request allowing the construction of a four-story, 120-unit retirement community on the southeast corner of Cockrell Hill Road and Blue Ridge Boulevard. The South Loop 12 development could help address the lack of affordable housing specifically suited for senior citizens. Homes will cost about $265,000 at…

Fort Worth’s New Community Land Trust Aims to Keep Homes Affordable

By April Towery / July 18, 2024 /

Community Land Trusts have been kicked around in North Texas for years as an affordable housing option for residents who want to age in place or stay in the community they grew up in. Fort Worth is forging ahead with its new land trust, poised to build and renovate homes on a 15-acre site purchased…

Dallas Builder Aarieanna Ware Trades Hard Hat for Tiara as Reigning Miss Texas

By April Towery / July 18, 2024 /

Three years after completing her first million-dollar, new construction build in Dallas’ prestigious M Streets, sustainable home builder and interior designer Aarieanna Ware scored another big win — an uncommon victory among local construction bosses. She was named Miss Texas.  The 26-year-old grew up as a self-professed military brat, living in different countries and admiring…