Denton | April 2026

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Denton Edition VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 MAY 5JUNE 3, 2026

Data centers rise in Denton During a Jan. 13 City Council meeting, Denton ocials gave the green light to a tax abatement with Qumulus AI to construct and operate a new data center on leased land from the city near Western Boulevard and Jim Christal Road. This marked the second time in less than two land, reliable municipal power and a talent pool from nearby universities, making Denton a natural location for articial intelligence infrastructure. While city ocials cited nancial benets of data centers in Denton, residents have raised concerns about the environmental impact and strain on utilities. BY GABBY BAILEY

years that City Council leased land to a data center. On Nov. 19, 2024, Denton ocials voted to lease a total of 78.85 acres of city land at 8171 Jim Christal Road to Core Scientic to expand its operations in conjunction with Core Weave, a major cloud service provider, according to city documents. Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth said the city oers a rare combination of city-owned industrial

CONTINUED ON 14

Core Scientic

Also in this issue

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Impacts

Page 4

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Find out more about the two new H-E-B grocery stores coming to Denton

Education

Page 8

Check out the construction updates of the new Borman Elementary School campus

Core Scientic will add additional infrastructure for AI applications to its current site, yielding a $6.1 billion real property investment. (Sky Eyes/Community Impact)

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

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DENTON EDITION

Impacts

• Opened March 11 • 3801 N. I-35, Ste. 130, Denton • www.tinyurl.com/4dctf6s4

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4 Rheumatology Associates The clinic oers treatment for rheumatic diseases, including gout, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and psoriatic arthritis. • Opened April 20 • 2900 N. I-35, Ste. 409, Denton • www.dfwra.com/denton

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5 Beach Club Car Wash The car wash will have vacuum bays and a drive-through service. A company representative said a soft opening for the Denton location has not been set. • Opening TBD • 2009 State School Road, Denton • www.beachclubcarwash.com 6 Red Italian Grill The Italian restaurant, which is one oor below Ruby Rodeo, will have a rotating seasonal menu inspired by Italian comfort food. • Opening in July • 122 N. Locust St., Ste. 100, Denton • www.reditalian.com 7 Smithers Smokehouse The restaurant will have barbecue oerings and will be located in the same space that housed Shine it Auto Detail before the shop moved in December. • Tentatively opening in September • 300 E. Hickory St., Denton • Website unavailable 8 Bath & Body Works The personal care store will open in Denton Crossing. Bath & Body Works sells lotions, soaps, candles, body mists, air fresheners and gift sets. • Opening this summer • 1800 S. Loop 288, Ste. 214, Denton • www.bathandbodyworks.com

Denton

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MAP NOT TO SCALE

2 Good Leaves Dispensary The store sells cannabis items like hemp and THC- infused goods like gummies, skin salves and tinctures. • Opened in mid-March

Now open

1 Ruby Rodeo The venue oers light bites and bar food, like chicken wings, atbreads and bruschetta. The drink menu includes cocktails, wine and beer. • Opened April 3 • 122 N. Locust St., Ste. 100, Denton • www.rubyrodeodenton.com

• 120 E. McKinney St., Denton • www.goodleavesdispensary.co

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3 Fossil Creek Liquor The business sells beer, seltzers, wine and liquor and oers delivery services.

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BY GABBY BAILEY, KAREN CHANEY & ADAM DOE

12 Bill Utter Ford The dealership is celebrating 70 years in business and is the longest family-owned and operated dealership in North Texas.

Relocations

Now open

9 Patchouli Joe’s Books and Indulgences The bookstore will remain open before moving from its current location at 221 W. Hickory St. • Relocating in September

• 4901 S. I-35E, Denton • www.billutterford.com

• 216 W. Mulberry St., Denton • www.patchoulijoesbooks.com

13 HEB The Texas-based grocery chain will have one new store o Robson Ranch Road with a fuel station and car wash. The second new location will be on University Drive. • A 7520 Robson Ranch Road, Denton • Opening early 2027 • B 2210 W. University Drive, Denton • Opening fall 2027 • www.heb.com

Expansions

10 Hoochies The seafood restaurant closed in November to update the oors, seating and to add a full bar. • Reopened March 30 • 214 E. Hickory St., Denton • www.facebook.com/dentonhoochies

15 The Velvet Echo The shop oers second-hand clothing, jewelry and household items sourced and curated from estate sales and thrift shops. Owner Stephanie Miller said a portion of the store’s proceeds will go toward charities that assist impoverished women. • Opened March 20

Closings

14 Black Fox Brewing Company of Texas The brewery opened in October 2023 and served small- batch beers like IPAs and stouts. • Closed April 1

In the news

11 Bewitched Denton The gift shop celebrated its fth anniversary April 1. Bewitched Denton sells crystals, jewelry and cosmic gifts. • 529 Bryan St., Denton • www.bewitcheddenton.com

• 311 S. Locust St., Denton • www.thevelvetecho.com

• 205 N. Cedar St., Denton • www.blackfoxbrewery.com

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DENTON EDITION

Government

BY ADAM DOE

Denton OKs $870K for drone factory incentives Drone manufacturing company KrateoSky plans to build a drone manufacturing plant in Denton following City Council’s approval of $870,000 in economic incentives, including a city-funded jobs grant, at an April 21 meeting. Ellen McCarthy, the company’s senior vice pres- ident of global government affairs, said KrateoSky expects to earn about 60% of its revenue through federal contracts via military applications. The measure passed 4-3 with council members Brian Beck, Brandon McGee and Mayor Pro Tem Suzi Rumohr voting against the incentives. What you need to know KrateoSky will lease a 168,000-square-foot building at 3411 Mingo Road to build a manufactur- ing and research plant for aerial drones and could begin operations by late fall 2026, McCarthy said. The facility will employ about 260 people with

Officials pass low-cost housing amendments Denton City Council approved changes to the city’s affordability incentive program to encourage more affordable housing con- struction at an April 7 council meeting. The overview The program offers nine incentives for developers to rent or sell their units to resi- dents earning under 80% of the area median income, a presentation from Housing Pro- grams Coordinator Leia Atkinson showed. City documents state 48% of Denton households earn less than 80% of the city’s area median income based on their house- hold size. Atkinson said the incentives’ purpose is to lower costs for developers. The incentives include reductions in required parking, unit size and lot size and a building height increase.

Economic incentives for KrateoSky drone plant

New improvements rebate: $498,564 Job-based grant: $227,000 Sales and use tax rebate on construction materials: $94,500 Headquarters grant: $50,000

Total: $870,064

SOURCE: CITY OF DENTON/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Arts &Music McGee noted a lack of safeguards against other government agencies using the drones. Beck said he doesn’t want a military drone plant in Denton. “I would love to have a drone facility [here,] but I don’t think this is the right one,” Beck said. Festival salaries averaging $79,000 annually, city staff said. An economic impact report shows the plant will generate $950,000 in net revenue for the city. Denton County will receive $412,000 in revenue, while Denton ISD will receive over $1 million. On the other hand

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Election

BY GABBY BAILEY

What are the biggest challenges facing the county? Denton County Commissioners Court, Precinct 4 Republican primary runoff election

How do you plan to address these issues?

Denton County’s biggest challenges are managing rapid growth while maintaining safe roads, reliable transportation infrastructure and strong public safety. We must plan responsibly, invest wisely and live within our means. Fiscal discipline and active community engagement are essential to ensure growth strengthens—not strains—our quality of life.

I’ll prioritize proactive planning, data-driven infrastructure investment and coordination with cities, Texas Department of Transportation and first responders. By focusing on congestion relief, road safety and emergency readiness while demanding fiscal discipline and transparency, we can manage growth responsibly. Ongoing community engagement will guide decisions and ensure taxpayer dollars deliver real results.

Valerie Roehrs Occupation & experience: business owner and rancher; 38 years business experience, MBA, principled leadership delivering

results with integrity www.voteroehrs.com

Out of control growth, taxes and external threats to our way of life are the biggest challenge facing Denton County.

Having the courage to say no to developers who want to insert Sharia Law or simply overload our infrastructure by building homes before the roads are built.

David Wylie Occupation & experience: application developer; systems architect; precinct chair and election judge; State Republican Executive Committee member www.wyliefordenton.com

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

DENTON EDITION

Education

BY GABBY BAILEY

Construction on pace for new Borman Elementary School in the district’s 2023 bond program. The replace- ment school is on the same property where the campus is located. Students will continue attend- ing the current school until the new campus is complete, district documents state. Boyter said the new school isn’t that much

During a joint Denton ISD and Denton City Council meeting April 7, updates were given on Borman Elementary School’s construction. What’s happening? Brandon Boyter, DISD’s executive director of construction planning and growth, said the construction is progressing for the new Borman Elementary School, which is scheduled to open for the 2026-27 school year. Boyter said upcoming tasks include: • Paving, building retaining wall and site work • Construction work on the courtyard, which is expected to go on through the end of May • Finishing the storm shelter, which is now mandated on new school structures by the International Building Code • Finishing work throughout the building The rebuild of Borman Elementary was included

bigger, but the new building uses its space more efficiently. There will also be space for pre-K classrooms, which the older school didn’t have. “Our current [elementary schools’] capacity is somewhere in the 750 range,” Boyter said. “Obviously, that is massaged a little bit with collaboration spaces and all the special programs. This building will be able to hold about [900.]” Looking ahead Once construction is done on the new school, the old school will be torn down and that space will be used for a city soccer field, Boyter said. The demolition timeline is for 2028, though Boyter said it could start in the first quarter of 2027.

The latest updates to Borman Elementary School show that a roof is now over most of the building and that most of the walls are up. (Courtesy Denton ISD) Completed tasks in the rst quarter of 2026: Finished roof deck Waterproofing and masonry of exterior walls Build-out of inside rooms and basic utility installation Started on tiling, erecting ceilings and flooring Began interior framing, drywalling and early painting

SOURCE: DENTON ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Transportation

BY CODY THORN

DART, Trinity Metro, DCTA release new regional fare pricing

person with a disability or a Medicare cardholder, according to a news release. A DART news release states the DART Senior Retail Annual Pass has been discontinued. Previ- ous users of this product are encouraged to use a reduced-fare 31-day pass. The details Denton County Transportation Authority was created in 2002 and operates an A-train commuter rail service, buses, a campus bus system at the University of North Texas and GoZone on-demand rideshares in Lewisville, Denton and Highland Village, according to its website. The A-train commuter line is 21 miles long and connects Denton County with Dallas County through the DART Green Line at the Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton, according to the website. The regional fare structure is part of a partner- ship between Trinity Metro, DART and DCTA to connect Fort Worth, Dallas, Denton County and

A trio of transportation agencies created an updated regional fare pricing system. Trinity Metro, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Denton County Transportation Authority updated and created a more consistent pricing structure across partner agencies, which started March 1, according to a news release. The regional one-day ticket price was lowered by $3, while regional reduced fares have been adjusted as part of the alignment to ensure long- term consistency and sustainability in regional pricing, the news release states. What’s happening? The updated fare is $9 for a one-day ticket, and the cost for monthly tickets is $192. The new reduced regional fare is $4.50 for a one-day ticket and $96 for a monthly ticket. To purchase a reduced fare, customers must present valid identification, be between the ages of 5 to 19 years old or 65 years or older, or be a

Regional day pass

Type

Current

New

$12

Regular Fare

$4.50

Reduced Fare*

Regional 31-day pass

Type

$192 $48 Current

New

$192 $96

Regular Fare

Reduced Fare*

*FOR RIDERS 5 TO 19 YEARS OLD OR 65 YEARS OR OLDER

SOURCE: DCTA/COMMUNITY IMPACT

the communities in between, the release states. The new update will allow riders to travel with greater ease across the three transit systems using one coordinated regional fare, according to the news release.

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Transportation

BY ADAM DOE

1173

Ongoing project

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156 1 Wellington Drive reconstruction Project: The waterline, curb, gutter and portions of the sidewalk will be updated along with a total reconstruction of the roadway. This project is funded from the $26 million Neighborhood 1B bond approved by voters in 2019. Update: Workers began roadway demolition and earth work in mid-April. • Timeline: September 2025-June • Cost: $707,324 • Funding source: city of Denton

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Ongoing projects

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2 Alice Street reconstruction Project: Construction crews will replace the waterline, curb, gutter and portions of the sidewalk. The project’s scope also includes a total roadway reconstruction and is funded from the $50 million Neighborhood 2 bond approved by voters in 2019. Update: Crews are nearly complete with concrete work with nal paving scheduled for late April. • Timeline: September 2025-June • Cost: $1.46 million • Funding source: city of Denton 3 Buckingham Drive updates Project: Crews will replace the waterline, curb, gutter and portions of the sidewalk, and the project’s scope also includes a total roadway reconstruction. This project is funded from the $26 million Neighborhood 1B bond approved by voters in 2019. Update: Utility work is nearly complete on the south end of the project and crews have started on road demolition on the north end. • Timeline: November 2025-June • Cost: $1.18 million • Funding source: city of Denton 4 Bonnie Brae Street expansion Project: Workers are widening the roadway with two additional lanes and a pedestrian and bike path alongside the road. The project is part of a multi-year, seven-phase expansion project. Update: Contractors began work to modify the soil near Conquest Drive in preparation for the expanded roadway for the sixth phase of the project.

7 Huntington Drive improvements Project: The work included replacing the waterline, curb, gutter and portions of the sidewalk, as well as a total reconstruction of the roadway. This project is funded from the $26 million Neighborhood 1B bond approved by voters in 2019. Update: Workers completed construction on the road segment and the road reopened in late March. • Timeline: October 2025-March • Cost: $754,358 • Funding source: city of Denton 8 Sheraton Road improvements Project: Crews replaced the waterline, curb, gutter and portions of the sidewalk and the entire roadway was reconstructed. This project was funded from the $26 million Neighborhood 1B bond that was approved by voters in 2019. Update: Workers completed construction on the road segment and the road reopened in late March. • Timeline: August 2025-March • Cost: $1.41 million • Funding source: city of Denton

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

5 Mulberry Street waterline extension Project: Contractors are replacing the water line along West Mulberry Street to accommodate a future multifamily development. Workers are replacing the 4-inch waterline with an 8-inch waterline to increase capacity. Update: The road between Carroll Boulevard and Locust Street closed for construction April 8, according to a city sta report. • Timeline: April-June • Cost: $199,764 • Funding sources: city of Denton, Mulberry Apartments

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Completed projects

6 Westgate Drive Connector expansion Project: The project connects Bronco Way to Westgate Drive, giving it access to the I-35 service road. Update: Construction wrapped on the project in April, according to an update from city sta to city council and the Denton ISD board of trustees. • Timeline: August 2025-April • Cost: $3.91 million • Funding source: city of Denton

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Development

BY GABBY BAILEY & ADAM DOE

Tetra Pak starts facility expansion

Tetra Pak, a food and beverage processing and packaging company, broke ground on a new expansion March 31. The details The updated development center will bring products to the market quicker and more eciently, a company news release states. The expanded facility will open at the start of 2027 and include 15,000 total square feet for the development center and a new customer innovation center. It will bring eight jobs to Denton, a company spokesperson said.

Arbor Ranch amenities will include a pool, playground and picnic areas. (Rendering courtesy of NRP group)

Construction begins on aordable housing complex

Workers broke ground on Arbor Ranch, a new 297-unit aordable housing complex in Denton o Roselawn Drive, on March 19, according to a news release from developer The NRP Group. What’s happening? The complex will provide units for residents earn- ing between 30%-70% of the median area income,

according to the release. NRP Vice President of Development Nick Walsh said the complex will have 1-4 bedroom units. Initial rent will range from $565- $2,200, the release states. Looking ahead The complex is scheduled to open for leasing in 2027 for the rst constructed units, per the release.

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DENTON EDITION

News

UNT professors detail how AI training works Community Impact spoke with four computer science and artificial intel- ligence experts from the University of North Texas to discuss how data Responses have been edited for length, clarity and style. sophisticated things. Fu: I did a quick search on

roughly 0.75 words. How do data centers factor into AI? Why do we need them for AI? Rattani: AI models are very large scale, so they can have up to trillions of parameters which we adjust or optimize by using the training data. The number of data points requires large computing resources, large networking, everything. This is why data centers are coming into play. Chen: I think data centers provide a high-performance GPU [Graphics Processing Unit] like computing resource and accelerators that can specialize in AI computing. We need massive storage to save the data set to train the model. Also, the data center provides reliable

ChatGPT to ask how much data was used to train you, and for the GPT 3 model, it’s used about 400 billion tokens of text, so that’s millions of books. For the new model, like GPT 4 and 5, the number of tokens reaches about 10 trillion tokens. That’s proba- bly 10,000 times larger. What is a token? Feng: You can look at tokens as the smallest unit of measurement, like a word count. For example the word “strawberry” can be split into multiple tokens instead of one token. Maybe “straw” is one token and “berry” is another token. For English tokens, one token is equivalent to

Can you explain in simple terms how large-language AI models like ChatGPT work? Feng: The model learns from test data to recognize patterns. We can put in articles and papers and the language model can learn patterns from it to train. When we query it, it predicts the words to the answer based on the patterns it recognized when we put in the data. Rattani: The [large language mod- els] keep on adapting to new queries whenever users interact. They can learn with text as well as images, audio, all that. They can learn richer context and they can do far more

centers and AI function, and why Denton is attracting the technology. Community Impact spoke with: • Song Fu , a professor of computer science and engineering and the director of the Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute • Haihua Chen , a professor of data science • Ajita Rattani , a professor of computer science and engineering • Yunhe Feng , a professor of com- puter science and engineering

BY ADAM DOE

Song Fu

Haihua Chen

Ajita Rattani

Yunhe Feng

power and cooling infrastructure that can enable the training to run continuously. Fu: To train the model, it will process a huge amount of data, try to find the pattern and then to optimize the millions of parameters. That will use a lot of computation power, so that’s why we need data centers. What is the attraction of AI training

Another thing is North Texas is becoming a technology corridor. A lot of big [information technology] companies are moving specifically to North Texas, and UNT has a lot of people with expertise in AI, data science and high-performance computing. I think this is a good combination of both resources and intelligence.

and development in North Texas, specifically the Denton area? Fu: To build the data centers, we need the power and space. For Denton, [the city has] a power plant next to the data centers to provide a power supply. It’s close to the com- munity airport in Denton and there’s a lot of open space around there. I think for both the power and space, Denton is well positioned for both.

What’s the future for the Data Science Institute? Fu: We have more than 70

members across all colleges at UNT. Not just from computer science and engineering, but from music, science and UNT health. We have all of this expertise in different domains and we can utilize the resources from the data center ... and apply them in research.

Data centers rise in Denton From the cover

What they’re saying

Two-minute impact

stretched too thin.” Qumulus AI Director of Engineering Spencer Smith said at a Dec. 17 planning and zoning meet- ing that its Denton data center will use a closed- loop cooling system, which is much quieter than traditional cooling methods, and that there will be no water usage. Core Scientic’s systems are also closed looped, according to its website. Puente said neither facility is expected to have a signicant impact on the city’s water utilities, and any wastewater generated will be routed through Denton’s wastewater treatment plant. Still, residents like Treat are not convinced that there will not be downsides to the data centers. He cited uncontrollable incidents like the grid failure from Winter Storm Uri in 2021 as to why he is skeptical about data centers in Denton. “Our city leaders are doing the best they can while dealing with harsh budget cuts from federal and state sources, but citizens need to stay engaged now more than ever. Our community’s future is on the line,” Treat said.

Core Scientic’s expansion is expected to bring in $1.2 billion in contracted revenue to its Denton plant and a $6.1 billion real property investment, according to news releases from the company. “By expanding our capacity in Denton, we’re building one of the largest [Graphics Processing Unit] supercomputers in North America,” Core Scientic CEO Adam Sullivan said in a 2025 news release. Qumulus AI will lease land from the city at a rate of about $20,000 per year for 10 years, according to a lease and power purchase agreement approved at an Aug. 6, 2024, council meeting. Residents cited concerns on social media about the increase in electric bills and city water usage after the data centers were approved. Denton resident Shaun Treat said the long-term eects of data centers in the community are unknown. “It’s a risky proposition for Denton,” Treat said. “Data centers incentivize municipalities with promises of jobs and tax revenues, but there’s zero backup plan if our water and energy resources get

Development is underway of Core Scientic and Qumulus AI’s facilities, which house information technology infrastructure. Core Scientic is transitioning from Bitcoin mining to high-performance computing, and Qumulus AI provides high-performance computing cloud and graphics processing unit services, their websites state. Tony Puente, general manager of Denton Municipal Electric, the city’s electric utility service, said city sta detailed the possible economic impact of having data centers in Denton in the 2020 economic plan.

Economic impact in Denton

Core Scientic

After estimated completed expansion in 2027, over 10 years: $430 million in total economic impact $194 million in property tax revenue

to the city of Denton 78.85 acres of land

Water usage for Core Scientic

On April 5, Denton City Council member Brian Beck requested a report on the water use impact of the Denton data centers. While the Qumulus AI individual estimates were not available, city sta documented industry- based water use estimates for both centers combined, as well as Core Scientic individually.

Qumulus AI

After operations begin in 2028: $20,000 a year to the city for 10 years from land leased $4.8 million to the city from franchise fees $2.5 million in net income to DME over ve years 4 acres of land

Discharge water is removed and treated o-site by a third party.

A closed-loop cooling system in the compute area requires an estimated initial ll of 1.5 million to 3 million gallons , plus a onetime ush.

Annual water loss is estimated at about 2% of the initial ll.

The oce building is expected to use roughly 2.4 million gallons per year.

SOURCES: CITY OF DENTON, CORE SCIENTIFIC, QUMULUS AI, DENTON MUNICIPAL ELECTRICCOMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCES: CITY OF DENTON, DENTON MUNICIPAL ELECTRICCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY GABBY BAILEY

Texas data centers

The big picture

Looking ahead

On March 30, a company called Arvato announced in a release it would be operating a 270,000-square- foot logistics hub at 3331 FM 1173, with another 150,000 square feet allocated for future expansions. Arvato is a third-party logistics provider for data centers and marks the latest development as data centers grow in Denton. The $635 million Core Scientic expansion began in November 2024 and will take three years, Birdseye said. Qumulus AI secured $500 million from Permian Labs, a ntech company, to build its Denton plant opening in 2028, its website states. Hudspeth said the money the city nets from the data centers will be used for dierent projects and one-time purchases in Denton, like a new re truck. How the funds are used will be future decisions for council. Hannah Norton contributed to this report.

City ocials are not actively recruiting data centers but support existing ones, emphasizing the importance of providing the necessary electricity and infrastructure, said Brittany Sotelo, Denton’s director of economic development. “The data centers are seeking sites specic to their needs and their right amount of electricity. If we don’t have that site, then they will go some- where else,” Sotelo said. The two data centers that will be operating in Denton coincide with an increase in data centers in Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas. The state is the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, with a January report from Bloom Energy projecting that Texas will see a 142% increase in data center industry activity by the end of 2028. Over 2,000 projects totaling 453,000 megawatts are currently looking to connect to the state grid, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas told state legislators April 1. About 357,000 megawatts of those requests are potential data centers, ERCOT

There are currently 439 data centers registered in Texas, with 180 registered in North Texas.

180

1 1 1 1 1

*AS OF APRIL 27 SOURCE: DATA CENTER MAP COMMUNITY IMPACT

documents show. “We’re going to be the No. 1 data center state in the union because of our natural gas supply,” said Ross Perot Jr., chair of real estate development company Hillwood. “You’ve got this boom going on in manufacturing that is very strong.”

How it works

“You have to wait until [the revenue is] almost retroactive. You have to make sure the numbers

with this energy. DME External Aairs Administrator Stuart Birdseye said that through the approved purchase power agreement with the city, Core Scientic is obligated to pay 100% of its power costs, transmission costs and a base charge that will be transitioned to a publicly available rate. Qumulus AI is obligated to pay 100% of all costs, including power and transportation, according to its purchase power agreement, Birdseye said.

Core Scientic originally leased 31 acres of city-owned land and 294 megawatts of power, but City Council agreed to increase the leased land to 78 acres and the company’s access to power to 394 megawatts in November 2024. That’s enough energy to power more than 78,000 homes. Qumulus AI’s facility will operate at 20 megawatts by the RD Wells electric substation, which is owned by Denton Municipal Electric, according to city documents. Exactly 4,000 homes could be powered

and uses come in.” GERARD HUDSPETH, DENTON MAYOR

Coming Soon! Community Impact’s health care Guide

Scan, call 512.989.1000 or email ads@communityimpact.com Promote your business:

DENTON EDITION

Events

cocktails and artwork from local artists. • May 16, 9 p.m. • Free (admission)

• May 11, 6-8 p.m. • $20 (includes dice and game piece) • 2201 I-35 S., Ste. L 20, Denton • www.nexusgamelounge.com/join-a-game

May

Live music featuring West Texas Exiles, Stone Creek Sparrows Country band West Texas Exiles and rock group Stone Creek Sparrows will perform at Dan’s Silverleaf. This will be the debut performance for Stone Creek Sparrows. • May 8, 7 p.m. (doors open); 8 p.m. (show starts) • $15-$125 Bill Utter Ford 70th anniversary celebration The oldest family-owned and operated dealership in North Texas will have a 70th anniversary celebration for the community. It will feature a live performance from country artist Kody West, light bites and refreshments. • May 8, 7 p.m. • Free (admission) • 103 Industrial St., Denton • www.danssilverleaf.com

• 219 E. Hickory St., Denton • www.yellowdogartbar.com

Denton Historic Bar Tour Guests will visit five locations on a private guided historic tour of downtown Denton. Specialty cocktails and dishes are included at each stop. • May 16, 1 p.m. • $30-$45 • 111 Industrial St., Denton (check-in) • www.downtowndenton.org/historic-bar-tour Springtime in Monte Carlo The Arc of Denton County will host a casino-themed night at the Quakertown Civic Center. The event will feature an Italian buffet, a raffle and casino-style games. The nonprofit provides advocacy services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. • May 16, 5 p.m. • $60

Stained Glass Workshop Wildflower Art Studio will host a stained glass workshop where gusts can create their own suncatcher. All materials and tools are included. • May 17, 3-5 p.m. • $150 • 715 N. Locust St., Denton • www.wildflowerartstudio.net The Importance of Being Earnest Theater Denton will perform Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Campus Theater. The play follows two socialites who live double lives to avoid social obligations.

• 4901 S. I-35E, Denton • www.billutterford.com

• May 22-23, 7:30 p.m.; May 24, 2 p.m.; May 28-30, 7:30 p.m.; May 31, 2 p.m. • $22.60-$30.15

• 321 E. McKinney St., Denton • www.arcofdentoncounty.org

Learn to play Dungeons & Dragons Head to Nexus Game Lounge at Golden Triangle Mall for an introduction on how to play Dungeons & Dragons. The class includes a seven-piece set of dice and a 3-D miniature game piece for future play sessions.

• 214 W. Hickory St., Denton • https://theatredenton.com

Karaoke at Yellow Dog Art Bar Head to Bramblitt’s Yellow Dog Art Bar and Gallery for karaoke night with DJ J Doubles. The venue offers

Live music at Steve’s Wine Bar Jazz band The Cats will perform at Steve’s Wine Bar.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY ADAM DOE

Along with wine, Steve’s Wine Bar also carries beer, seltzers, non-alcoholic beverages and cigars. • May 23, 7:30-9:30 p.m. • $15 • 111 Industrial St., Denton • www.steveswinebar.com/events Life Drawing New and experienced artists can sharpen their skills at the Denton Maker Center with a live clothed model who will assume different poses. Artists are required to bring

their own materials. • May 27, 6-8 p.m. • Free (reservation required) • 728 N. Elm St., Denton • www.dentonmakercenter.com

The Lorax in the Park Bring a blanket and lawn chair to the lawn outside Quakertown Civic Center for a movie in the park. The seasonal movie series will run through June 5. The May 15 movie is “The Lorax.” • May 15, 6 p.m. • Free (admission) • 321 E. McKinney St., Denton • www.cityofdenton.com/1240/movies-in-the-park

Pottery date night Couples can enjoy wine and refreshments at Wildflower Art Studio while they create matching clay vases. The workshop includes all required materials and guests can pick up their vases within two weeks of the event. • May 16, 6-8 p.m. • $150 • 715 N. Locust St., Denton • www.wildflowerartstudio.net

Denton Vintage Short Film Fest Enjoy a screening of three historical short films about Denton at the UNT CoLab as part of Preservation Month, hosted by Preserve Denton. The event will offer light refreshments and is for ages 13 and older. • May 29, 6:30 p.m. • Free (admission) • 207 N. Elm St., Denton • www.cityofdenton.com/1012/ denton-revealed-preservation-month

LET’S BUILD THE NORTH TEXAS WORKFORCE TOGETHER The Texas Talent Accelerator unites employers, Industry Executives

Educational Institutions

higher education institutions, and economic development organizations to strengthen the workforce in the fast-growing North Texas region.

Economic Development Partners

Industry Associations

Philanthropic Foundations

Workforce Boards

Governmental Agencies

Learn more about the Texas Talent Accelerator:

texas-talent.org

DENTON EDITION

Business

BY ADAM DOE

Walmart partners with Zipline for drone deliveries The Walmart at Rayzor Ranch partnered with drone delivery service Zipline to transport products to customers, Zipline Community Engagement Lead Zach Hill said at a delivery demonstration March 26. What’s happening The drones can deliver orders up to 5 pounds in a 2.5-mile radius around the Rayzor Ranch Walmart, Hill said. Each drone ies and hovers around 300 feet in the air, which is below the limit of planes and helicopters set by the Federal Aviation Admin- istration. They deliver the products by lowering them on a tether to the delivery location. Customers can submit their orders through the Zipline app, which tracks the delivery status and provides an estimated time of arrival. According to Walmart’s website, the drones should arrive to its designated location within 30 minutes and deliveries will be made at a predetermined location, such as a resident’s front yard, backyard or driveway. There is currently no delivery charge for the service, but Hill said the drone delivery service is unlikely to remain free. The Rayzor Ranch Walmart is the company’s 20th delivery partner in Dallas-Fort Worth and the 21st site in the United States, Hill said. The Walmart site can support up to 20 drones. Currently, Zipline has eight operating drones attached to the site. Some background Zipline engaged in community outreach before launching the drones and allowed residents to observe the drone operations at the Walmart site. “It’s a new technology and we want to make sure everyone is comfortable,” Hill said. Zipline has also partnered with food vendors like Bualo Wild Wings and Chipotle to provide food delivery by drone. Looking ahead Hill said the company plans to increase the drones’ carrying capacity from 5 pounds to 8 pounds by the end of 2026. The Zipline app is available from both Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Drone service area

1173

288

428

377

E. WINDSOR DR.

WALMART

380

N. WESTERN BLVD.

W. OAK ST.

W. HICKORY ST.

35E

35W

377

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

The drones have a 2.5-mile delivery radius and can carry up to 5 pounds, according to Zipline ocials.

The Zipline drones have an 8-foot wingspan and can y up to 300 feet in the air.

PHOTOS BY ADAM DOECOMMUNITY IMPACT

The Walmart at Rayzor Ranch has eight operating Zipline delivery drones that are housed on elevated docks.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Dining

BY PATRICIA ORTIZ

Families in the Denton area can enjoy Mother’s Day meals, specials and celebrations at these three local Denton restaurants near the downtown square May 10. Making a reservation is recommended at all three locations ahead of Mother’s Day. This list is not comprehensive. 3 Mother’s Day brunch spots to try in downtown Denton From a mimosa bar to a custom fresh ower bar to make individualized bouquets, each restaurant will have its own unique way to celebrate moms around Denton.

1 Mexican Oak The restaurant and cantina is opening an hour early at 10 a.m. for a brunch and full menu on Mother’s Day. It will also have a bottomless mimosa bar available at $25 per person. Mexican Oak oers a variety of tacos and classic Mexican dishes like enchiladas, chili relleno and fajitas. Some available desserts include churros and sopapillas.

3 Three Roses Tea Room & Gifts The family-owned tea house will have its standard afternoon tea Sunday reservations open for Mother’s Day. Manager Megan Herrera said the tearoom will also have a guest vendor with a ower bar for customers to make their own bouquets from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. that day.

2 Queenie’s Steakhouse The restaurant’s specialties are steak and handcrafted cocktails, and its Mother’s Day brunch will include dinner and brunch items. A six-course meal ranges from $80-$100 per person and includes desserts like the ancho chile chocolate cake, which has vanilla bean ice cream and smoked almond brittle.

The ancho chili chocolate cake includes vanilla bean ice cream and a smoked almond brittle.

Mexican Oak is oering a bottomless mimosa bar and is opening one hour early for Mother's Day.

Reservations are required for afternoon tea at Three Roses Tea Room & Gifts.

E. OAK ST.

W. MCKINNEY ST.

W. OAK ST.

E. HICKORY ST.

W. HICKORY ST.

W. OAK ST.

100 W. Oak St., Ste. 160, Denton www.mexicanoak.com

115 E. Hickory St., Denton www.queeniessteakhouse.com

221 W. Oak St., Denton www.threerosestearoom.squarespace.com

DENTON EDITION

Dining

BY KAREN CHANEY

The Chestnut Tree owner Suzanne Johnson has lived in Denton for 24 years.

Healthy Hippie ($15) features mashed avocado on wheat bread, baby heirloom tomatoes, za’atar spice, arugula, a balsamic drizzle served with seasonal fruit and potatoes O’Brien.

PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The Chestnut Tree boasts deep roots in Denton

Downtown Denton’s The Chestnut Tree—which started out as an antique shop with a tea room in the back in 1994—has transitioned into a tea room and bistro, sans antique shop, featuring a bustling catering business. “I love this place so much,” restaurateur Suzanne Johnson said. “I’ve been fortunate to be a part of an institution that has been here for a long time—it’s the oldest restaurant downtown—but catering allows me to ex my creative chops.” Mother and daughter duo Betty Seeders and Valeree Clegg opened The Chestnut Tree in 1994. In 2016, after six years of working as the restau- rant’s chef, and when Clegg was ready to retire, Johnson became the sole proprietor. On the menu Johnson said some food items, like the com- plimentary made-in-house biscuits and butter, have remained consistent since the restaurant’s inception. However, she has tweaked the menu over time to stay relevant and to honor customers’ requests. “Quality ingredients are important to me. It has some French inuence, but it’s not a completely French restaurant,” Johnson said. “We try to make sure we have vegan and gluten free options.” Top-selling menu items are from the brunch menu, including lox and bagels, the Monte Cristo sandwich and The Dentonite, which is a French toast sandwich featuring ham, Swiss cheese,

mushrooms, tomatoes, hollandaise, poached egg and a balsamic glaze. “[The Dentonite] is a good hangover food,” Johnson said. “It’s a nice, savory breakfast option which is substantial enough that when you eat it, you cure what ails you.” What else? Johnson said about half of The Chestnut Tree’s business is catering and a top request is for grazing tables. “There’s a local bar called Paschall [and] I’m doing my third tiki event with them, so it’s all Hawaiian inuenced,” Johnson said. “I don’t send a standard catering menu out to everybody because I like to gure out what somebody is looking for exactly. For the most part, we can accommodate any budget.” Making an impact Johnson said The Chestnut Tree’s customers, which she calls “guests,” are very diverse and include young children, college students and grandparents. “There are people who I catered their weddings 15 years ago, and now I’ve catered their daughter’s birthday party,” Johnson said. “There are people who had their rst tea party here when they were 5, and I’ve now catered their weddings. The loyalty of our guests—and getting to see them grow and change—is one of my favorite parts about this.”

Lox & Bagel ($21) has salmon, dill cream cheese, onion, tomatoes, hard egg, caviar and an everything bagel.

Buddha bowl ($17) includes greens, tomato, berries, sunower seeds and blueberry pomegranate dressing.

W. HICKORY ST.

W. WALNUT ST.

107 W. Hickory St., Denton www.chestnuttearoom.com

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Real estate

There were 104 homes sold in Denton in March, which is a decrease of 19 homes sold compared to March 2025. Residential market data

Number of homes sold

March 2025

March 2026

-54.5%

+25%

-11.54%

-20%

+5%

-38.71%

76208

76201

76207

76208

76209

76210

76205

288

380

76209

76201

Median home sales price

76205

76207

35E

35W

March

2025

2026

76210

LEWISVILLE LAKE

$330,000 $435,885 $421,000 $371,790 $290,000 $414,000

$360,000 $429,990 $430,000 $389,198 $304,000 $359,000

76201

76205

Homes sold by price point

76207

March 2026

76208

76209

$1 million+

76210

$700,000-$999,999

$400,000-$699,999

Average days on market

$100,000-399,999

-10.53%

+36.9%

-7.62%

-22.22%

+25.93%

+20%

<$99,999

MARKET DATA COMPILED BY METROTEX ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS WWW.MYMETROTEX.COM

76201

76207

76208

76209

76210

76205

DENTON EDITION

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