Charles Grand

DFW Ranks Best in Texas for Livability — But That’s Apparently a Low Bar

By Charles Grand / January 20, 2026 /

Livability can mean different things to different people, but you’ll often find a lot of the same markers in those housing and lifestyle rankings floating around out there. While we tend to give a good amount of coverage when North Texas cities come in hot, it’s also important to take stock when the Metroplex gets…

Another Major Retailer Winds Down at Plano’s The Shops at Willow Bend

By Charles Grand / January 19, 2026 /

North Texas shopaholics will have another legacy retail institution to mourn before too long as the Dillard’s at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano lives out its final days this month, marking one of the mall’s last chapters ahead of its inevitable redevelopment. The Shops at Willow Bend has been around for 25 years.…

Dallas Central Library Faces ‘Reimagining’ While Four Branches Face Closure

By Charles Grand / January 18, 2026 /

It’s never too early in the calendar year to start the bitter conversations about how and where to realize budget savings in Dallas. In 2026, that debate is kicking off with library services. Four neighborhood branches are being proposed for closure, and the historic J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is in for a “reimagining.” On…

City Hall Roundup: Convention Center Tweaks, Proposed South Dallas Tower Stalls

By Charles Grand / January 18, 2026 /

Hopefully everyone is warming up from the bitter overnight freeze and enjoying the long holiday weekend. Dallas City Hall will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, if anyone was planning on swinging by. Instead, many officials will be at the annual MLK Day Parade in South Dallas, which will kick off…

Architects Go on the Offensive to Save Dallas City Hall

By Charles Grand / January 16, 2026 /

It should be no surprise that architects and those who appreciate architecture are at the forefront of the fight to save Dallas City Hall. They’ve been doing what they can to make the case for keeping 1500 Marilla St., including pushing back on the narrative that the decades-old I.M. Pei is suffering from serious structural…