Government
BY ISABELLA ZEFF
DART receives $7M to replace buses Dallas Area Rapid Transit received a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to replace nearly 500 aging buses across the metroplex. The overview DART plans to phase out the older buses that have reached the end of their useful life, and announced the purchase of 476 new buses earlier this year. The rst buses in the eet were already delivered this fall and will pick up passengers by the end of December. The phased replacement of the older buses with the new models is expected to continue through 2027. The details The new buses are compressed natural gas-powered, a near-zero-emission option that helped DART secure the FTA grant. According to DART documents, DART used feedback from passenger surveys to develop features on the new buses, including additional stroller space, more secure bike storage, improved passenger information screens and more. The new grant is in addition to $103 million in initial federal grants awarded to DART, and part of a $2.5 billion nationwide system modern- ization program. “The timing of this grant couldn’t be bet- ter ... as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup,” said Nadine Lee, DART president and CEO.
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Richardson North Junior High’s expansion was approved by City Council on Dec. 8.
RENDERING COURTESY STANTEC
Council approves middle school transformation Richardson North Junior High is set to transform into Richardson ISD’s third middle school. Richardson City Council unanimously approved a rezoning that will allow for the school’s planned expansion and renovations in the Dec. 8 meeting. The gist Brett Holzle, an architect with Stantec Architects who is working with RISD to renovate Richardson North, presented the expansion plans to council. The proposed expansion includes constructing a new gymnasium; demolishing and rebuilding por- tions of the west side of the building; and adding new athletic, dining, administration, career and technical education and ne arts spaces, according to city documents.
The total building area would increase from 94,000 to 228,016 square feet, and the school’s enrollment is expected to increase from approx- imately 592 to 700 students in its rst year as a middle school, with projections to reach 1,000 students in future years. “All of that existing building does get renovated, so it all looks and feels like one new building together, and not old versus new,” Holzle said. The background Forest Meadow and Lake Highlands became the rst middle schools in the district last year as part of RISD’s initiative to shift all junior highs into the middle school model. This adds sixth-graders to the schools already serving seventh and eighth graders, which is the model that the majority of Texas school districts operate under. Construction is expected to start in May 2026, with Richardson North set to welcome sixth graders as a middle school in fall of 2028.
Twilight Plaza to now feature retail, restaurant
Richardson
since 2020, and they have been unable to acquire new tenants. However, he said they have received interest from a wide variety of retail and service busi- nesses that were not permitted in the o ce district that the buildings are zoned under. Pardue said that the space would best accom- modate a smaller cafe, such as a sandwich place or co ee shop, and he doesn’t anticipate larger restaurants having an interest in Twilight Plaza.
Two multitenant o ce buildings will now be able to house retail and service businesses after Richardson City Council unanimously approved a rezoning for additional uses in their Dec. 8 meeting. The overview The o ce buildings, located at 508 Twilight Trail in what is called Twilight Plaza, were purchased by their current owners, the Pardues, in 2019. Owner Taylor Pardue said there has been limited interest in the traditional o ce space
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