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Concept plan published for large commercial tractFree Access




EARNING AN HONOR — Legend Bank Team (top), front, Matt Brown, East Regional President, EVP, Jay Bearden, President/CEO, Jeff Brooks, Chief Lending Officer, back, Bret Meekins, West Regional President, EVP, Reid Winger, Western Center Branch President, SVP, Brennan Williams, Decatur Branch President, SVP, Mike Rigby, West Regional President, EVP accepted the Cornerstone Award from the Texas Bankers Foundation. Brennan Williams (right) was named the Emerging Leader by the group.

EARNING AN HONOR — Legend Bank Team (top), front, Matt Brown, East Regional President, EVP, Jay Bearden, President/CEO, Jeff Brooks, Chief Lending Officer, back, Bret Meekins, West Regional President, EVP, Reid Winger, Western Center Branch President, SVP, Brennan Williams, Decatur Branch President, SVP, Mike Rigby, West Regional President, EVP accepted the Cornerstone Award from the Texas Bankers Foundation. Brennan Williams (right) was named the Emerging Leader by the group.

Resting between the major thoroughfares of U.S. 380 and U.S. 81/287 on the north side of Decatur is 87.58 acres of prime commercial real estate.

Commercial real estate developer Retail Connection has published on its website a concept plan for a possible large development, Decatur Crossroads, which could include several national retailers. There is also a proposed site for a grocery store.

Decatur EDC Executive Director Kevin Holzbog acknowledged the concept plan and the talks about the property, but urged caution.

“It’s equal to happen as not to happen,” Holzbog said. “There are a lot of hurdles to get through.”

Holzbog said there appears to be more momentum with the project than in the past decade.

“The project has laid dormant for years. There’s been several concepts during that time,” Holzbog said. “What’s been shared is the most recent concept.”

Population growth and traffic through the county are driving the interest. The North Central Texas Council of Governments 2022 population estimate for Wise County is 69,740. NCTCOG has Decatur at 6,910.

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Holzbog pointed out the potential impact on the local economy with the project bringing more than a dozen businesses to the community.

“Millions of dollars in retail spending leave our county each day. Projects like this will keep millions local each day,” Holzbog said. “It’ll keep money local to be spent with local companies.”

He also said this potential project could open up space for many businesses that currently can’t find open land in the city.

“There’s many retailers and restaurants that have wanted to be in the Decatur area for a long time and couldn’t identify a property,” Holzbog said. “Developments like this will create leaseable commercial space.”

Decatur joins regional effort

The Decatur EDC is joining 17 other municipalities and counties in a collaboration launched through the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Economic Development Partnership.

Decatur will join Bedford, Burleson, Cleburne, Corinth, Euless, Flower Mound, Granbury, Grapevine, Hurst, Joshua, Keller, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Southlake, Weatherford and Parker County as founding partners in the effort.

“This collaboration provides invaluable information and resources to our regional partners, and we’re so excited to work together to grow and develop our local economy,” said Chris Strayer, Executive Vice President of Economic Development for the Fort Worth Chamber.

The Decatur EDC will pay $1,500 annually as part of the partnership. Decatur EDC Executive Director Kevin Holzbog said the ties with the group will give the city a chance to tie into the regional efforts to bring in industry and jobs

“Through this partnership we will be able to leverage their ability to recruit new companies,” Holzbog said. “It’ll put us in the room with companies that we may not be able to meet with on our own.”

Bridgeport increases businesses grants

The Bridgeport EDC has doubled the amount of money available for business beautification grants from $5,000 to $10,000.

The matching grants are available for any businesses in the city outside of the Halsell Street business district to spruce up the exterior of their properties. Businesses can be reimbursed half of their costs for signage, painting or landscaping. “It’s much more than facades. It’s anything that adds curb appeal,” said Bridgeport EDC Executive Director Leah Clark. “We want to encourage investment in the properties.”

Bridgeport job fair

The City of Bridgeport, Bridgeport EDC, Bridgeport Main Street and Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to help businesses in the community connect with potential employees.

The entities are holding a job fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bridgeport Community Center, 1102 Lawdwin Avenue. Booths are free. Businesses are asked to sign up by June 23 at cityofbridgeport.net/jobfair2022.

Scooters nearing opening

Scooters Coffee in Bridgeport is nearing completion of its building and plans to open later this month.

Franchise owner Lauret Odesanya said a soft opening is slated for June 20. A grand opening of the drive-thru at U.S. 380 and Overland Drive will follow.

“We’re on schedule to open to the public June 20,” she said.

Aqualine groundbreaking

The groundbreaking for the newest addition at Eagles Landing Business Park — Aqualine — is slated for 10 a.m. Tuesday.

According to the agreement with the Decatur EDC, Aqualine will construct a 40,000-square-foot tilt wall warehouse on the site, a $3.5 million investment. As part of the agreement, it will create 10 new jobs that pay a minimum of Wise County’s average wage.

Legend Bank garners honors

Legend Bank recently received multiple honors from the Texas Bankers Foundation.

Brennan Williams, Legend Bank Decatur Branch President, has been selected by the Texas Bankers Foundation as one of only seven bankers in the state of Texas to be named an Emerging Leader. Launched in 2019 by the Texas Bankers Foundation, this award honors bankers who have had a positive impact on the banking industry and who represent the best values of Texas community banking.

““Brennan is smart, relational, and intuitive. He seeks and finds solutions to complex problems that are rooted in common sense and can make a complicated matter easy to understand. He has named a top lender for Legend Bank every year since he was promoted to Decatur Branch President, SVP back in 2012,” said Jay Bearden, President and CEO of Legend Bank. “I have personally recommended that Brennan serve in leadership roles on committees to help us improve efficiencies and serve our customers and communities better. His input and perspective is so important to me and to the other members of our Executive Team.”

Legend Bank also received the Cornerstone Award for their “Snack Bar of Support.”

Starting with an effort to provide snacks in the Recharge Room at Wise Health System during the height of the COVID- 19 pandemic, it grew to the bank stocking 13 hospital and urgent care breakrooms with 27 delivers since September.

“We are proud to have been selected for the coveted TBA Cornerstone Award for our ‘Snack Bar of Support’ program, which provided physical nourishment and encouragement to the health care workers in our communities,” Bearden said. “As COVID impacted our health care providers, we saw the need to lift these servants up and take care of them as they have cared for us and our loved ones. The Cornerstone Award is a prestigious recognition for this program but knowing our healthcare workers felt appreciated and loved was the greater reward for us.”

Richard Greene is the editor of the Messenger. The Taking Care of Business column appears the second weekend edition of the month. If your business has a celebration, retirement or new hire or other business news, contact him at rgreene@wcmessenger.com.

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