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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-02-27 Euless ArticlesOutdated city, police, fire facilities on Haltom City’s wish list if bond election OK’d BY ELIZABETH CAMPBELL liz@star-telegram.com Haltom City's Fire Station No. 3 was built over 30 years ago in the city's water tower. The unusual building was once the envy of other cities, but now it is outdated and won't hold up to the growth, development and modern building requirements and codes. Paul Moseley pmoseley@star- telegram.com HALTOM CITY Haltom City officials are embracing new growth, but realize that with it they will need to renovate or replace old facilities — including a fire station housed in a water tower — to keep pace with the demands of a growing city. Luxury apartments, new homes and two upscale hotels are coming to Haltom City, just northeast of downtown Fort Worth, but the current city hall, police department and aforementioned fire station are outdated and need to be replaced. On Feb. 12, the City Council will address calling for a $34.4 million bond election to address the growing pains. If the council decides to move forward, voters will go to the polls May 5. The recent completion of the North Tarrant Express expansion project in the city makes further development possible, Mayor David Averitt said. Plans are to build a combined city hall and law enforcement center and to replace Fire Station No. 3, which is in the water tower at 4940 N.E. Loop 820, where new housing developments are taking shape, Assistant City Manager Rex Phelps said. Fire Station No. 3 was built in 1983, but the building isn’t designed for ladder trucks and other equipment that is needed to handle fires at the new homes and apartments. The larger fire engines won’t fit in the water tower, said Lt. Randy Harris, who works at the station. Harris, who came on board when the station was “state of the art,” said the two firetrucks barely fit inside the bay. Although having the water tower overhead that it isn’t a big deal, Harris said, there are times when the storage tank overfills and firefighters are awakened by the loud clanging of the drain cover. Then there are the times when lightning hits the tower, he said. Lt. Randy Harris and Fire Chief Perry Bynum talking in the crowded fire engine bay at Fire Station No. 3. The engines almost bump the rear wall, but have to get that close or else the front bay doors won't close. Haltom City's Fire Station No. 3 was built over 30 years ago in the city's water tower. Paul Moseley pmoseley@star-telegram.com Fire Chief Perry Bynum said another concern is the poor ventilation in the building, which allows exhaust to build up when trucks are started. “We are concerned about increased carcinogens,” Bynum said. “Concerns about cancer in the fire service are huge issues for us.” Phelps said Haltom City and the Economic Development Corporation own land for the new city facilities. The city hall and police department are also outdated; both were built 50 to 60 years ago. Phelps said the buildings don’t comply with current codes and with the Americans With Disabilities Act and that it would be more expensive to renovate them. “The new replacement buildings are important as economic drivers to the desperately needed new development along the Loop 820 Corridor,” Phelps said. “Things are moving as it relates to development. This growth will help offset the city’s dependence on the property tax rate for the future.” Residents could see a two-cent property tax rate increase, but those details are still being discussed, Phelps said. H-E-B ISD wants to build 2 new schools, calls $199 million bond election BY SANDRA ENGELLAND sengelland@kellercitizen.com Viridian Elementary School in north Arlington is the newest Hurst-Euless-Bedford school. A bond proposal on the May 5 ballot would build two more elementary schools. Star-Telegram archives BEDFORD Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district trustees voted Monday night to call a $199 million bond election to build two elementary schools and re-purpose another, renovate and expand all five junior high schools and upgrade technology across the district. If approved by voters in the May 5 election, the bond issue would raise the tax rate by 9.4 cents over two years. For a taxpayer with a home valued at $200,000 and a standard homestead exemption, the increase would be about $164 a year. The district's current tax rate is $1.26 per $100 of assessed value. "We want to have the facilities to educate our students the way we want to educate them," said Trustee Matt Romero. "This is strictly a needs-type bond." H-E-B officials are expecting growth of about 400 new students a year for the next several years, growing from 23,400 students this year to more than 26,000 in 10 years. The district includes the growing Viridian master-planned community in north Arlington, with about 2,800 future homes within district boundaries, according to demographics consultant Bob Templeton. H-E-B already has an elementary school in Viridian. Board President Julie Cole said trustees and administrators spent the last three years looking at facilities needs and developing the bond proposal. Most of the funds, $130 million, would go to build two elementary schools and classroom and science lab additions at each of the district's junior high schools. The new schools (combined cost of $74 million) would be in north Euless, at Midway Drive and International Boulevard, and in east Fort Worth, at Precinct Line Road and Trammel Davis Road. Another $49 million would renovate and re-purpose West Hurst Elementary to become office space for special education staff members, improve interiors at the junior highs (they're all 35 to 45 years old), add an orchestra hall and cafeteria at Central Junior High School and relocate the main entry at Euless Junior High. Technology upgrades for students, staff and infrastructure would take $20 million and would be on a six year term, instead of a 25 year term. According to district officials, West Hurst Elementary is old and undersized for current educational practices. The plans are to use the building to house about 70 staff members in special education support services, who are currently in three different locations, including portable buildings. Students now at West Hurst would be re-zoned for other elementary schools. David Garcia, deputy superintendent of business operations, said that the district's last bond in 2011 covered renovations and improvements at the high school level, so the needs are greatest now for junior high and elementary schools. District officials will hold a series of informational meetings about the bond beginning Feb. 22. For more details on the meetings and the bond proposal, go to hebisdbond.com. Early voting runs April 23 through May 1. Euless' Glade Parks Town Center, a walkable heart of the shopping district, will be done this summer Glade Parks Town Center in Euless will be completed this summer, creating a main area for the shopping district that already has 463,000 square feet of retail space. It's all part of the 194- acre Glade Parks mixed-use development built and managed by North Rock Real Estate LLC. The new Town Center area will add 180,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. It will have a landscaped plaza where the shopping center plans to host family entertainment and events. More is planned. The shopping center will eventually have total retail, restaurant and entertainment space of 800,000 square feet. Last year, Euless voters approved a change to allow liquor stores in the city. As it has in other parts of North Texas, Total Wine & More is among the first to open. It plans to have a store ready in Glade Parks by this fall. Also opening this fall is Portland, Oregon-based Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill. Among the new stores coming is Forever 21 Red, which opens in March. Austin-based craft burger bar Hopdoddy opens in late April. Spring openings are also planned for women's apparel and accessories retailer Francesca's and big and tall men's store DXL. Imperial Hibachi, an upscale Asian Fusion restaurant, will open in early June. An Aloft Hotel is under construction and is expected to open in June. Other tenants that have signed leases include Neapolitan Pizza Company and Old Navy. Stores started opening in Glade Park in 2016 with a 95,000-square-foot Belk as an anchor. There's also a Walmart and Target in the shopping center and a couple dozen other stores, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Michaels, Kirkland's, Ulta and Five Below. NPCA Recognizes Superior Concrete Products for Twenty Consecutive Years of Plant Certification Raul Rodriguez, VP of Manufacturing, Accepts Award for the Company EULESS, Texas, Feb. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Superior Concrete Products, a manufacturer, designer and installer of modular precast concrete fences, sound barriers, retaining walls, tiny houses and buildings, has been honored for 20 consecutive years in the National Precast Concrete Association’s (NPCA) plant certification program. Recognized during The Precast Show 2018 in Denver on Feb. 22, the company has been a member of the NPCA since 1997. Strategically located in the center of the United States, Superior Concrete Products has been manufacturing, designing, engineering and installing beautiful decorative precast products for more than 30 years. Primarily servicing the U.S. market, the company also ships products abroad, and licenses precast molds and technology to international entrepreneurs around the world. “We are deeply honored to be recognized by the NPCA," said Todd Sternfeld, CEO and founder of Superior Concrete Products. “The award signifies the hard work and commitment of the entire Superior Concrete Products team, and especially our factory personnel led by Raul Rodriguez, the company’s vice president of manufacturing. We take great pride in the high-quality products we produce, and for the strict production standards that our team has consistently maintained over the years. Ever since we joined the NPCA in 1997, we’ve ensured that all the products that we manufacture meet or exceed the highest industry standards. Our customers know when they purchase precast concrete from Superior, that they are getting top-quality products and competitive prices.” In addition to Superior Concrete Products, the NPCA recognizes plants that have been continuously certified for a number of years. Superior Concrete Products and other manufacturers are being honored for their long-term commitment to practicing quality production practices and producing high-quality precast concrete products. To achieve and maintain certification, precast manufacturing plants are graded on several critical areas of precast concrete production including quality control procedures, safety, production practices, concrete mixture, reinforcement design and more. “NPCA is proud to recognize Superior Concrete Products for its dedication to the program and to manufacturing quality precast concrete products,” said Ty Gable, president of National Precast Concrete Association. To learn more about Superior Concrete Products and any of the company’s line of fence, barrier, retaining wall, tiny house, precast buildings or other merchandise, phone 817-277-9255 or visit www.ConcreteFence.com or www.ConcreteTinyHouses.com. Construction begins on new park-inspired plaza at Euless' Glade Parks Town Center Enlarge By Candace Carlisle – Senior Reporter, Dallas Business Journal Feb 23, 2018, 6:30am Rockford, Illinois-based North Rock Real Estate LLC has begun construction on the park-inspired plaza within the $100 million, 194-acre Glade Parks Town Center along State Highway 121 in Euless. The 800,000-square-foot mixed-use development has been taking shape over the last few years, with a new theater, hotel and specialty retailers underway to bring shoppers and visitors to this part of North Texas. "This area of North Texas is booming just like other parts of the region," Zach Knutson, executive vice president and COO of North Rock Real Estate, previously told the Dallas Business Journal. The new plaza, called Glade Parks Town Plaza, will help serve as a gathering place for shoppers and visitors, with North Rock Real Estate expecting to announce programming of the open space this spring. By the end of the summer, North Rock plans to add Forever 21 RED, Hopdoddy, Francesca's, DXL, Imperial Hibachi, MidiCi and other retails to the mix. This fall, Glade Parks Town Center will also get a Total Wine & More and a 7,500-square-foot Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill. The 132-room boutique Aloft Hotel is slated to open in June next to the Cinepolis theater and is expected to further enhance the mixed-use development. "In retail today, it's all about foot traffic and so we are adding a hotel to bring young professionals into the center," Knutson added. "We think that foot traffic will feed into our restaurant and apparel brands, with more apparel brands coming in the future." Figure skating in Texas? Euless is the new place to make Olympic dreams come true CORRECTION - Ashley Cain (L) and Timothy Leduc of the US perform during the pairs free skating program at the ISU Four Continents figure skating championships in Taipei on January 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty Images By Jori Epstein, Staff writer Contact Jori Epsteinon Twitter:@JoriEpstein EULESS -- The road here, skaters in Euless say, hasn't been smooth. Ashley Cain heard she was too curvy, her pairs partner Timothy LeDuc deflecting criticism he wasn't manly enough. Brooklee Han wasn't happy skating anymore. And Aimee Buchanan found herself in a rut. Then they all teamed up in North Texas. "When I told people I was moving to Texas, they were like, 'Oh are you going to start riding horses?'" said Buchanan, who will compete for Israel at the Pyeongchang Olympics. "I was like, 'No, I'm moving there to skate.'" Such migrations are increasingly becoming the norm. North Texas is now home to 10 elite figure skaters, eight of whom compete internationally and two more on the national level. The influx has been recent, with five of the elite skaters moving in the last two years alone. Their impetus: Train with coaches Peter and Darlene Cain. The Cains' credentials impress; Peter is a four-time Australia national champion and Darlene a Canadian double gold medalist. But it's the culture the couple has developed at the Dr Pepper StarCenter -- a positive, encouraging, team environment -- that is catching skaters' attention. Texas is beginning to catch up with U.S. skating hotbeds like California, Colorado and Michigan. "Who would have thought people would be moving from Atlanta and big cities to Euless, Texas?" Darlene Cain said. "When you think of Euless, Texas? No." Australian Olympian figure skater alternate Brooklee Han practices her routine at the Dr. Pepper Stars Center in Euless, Friday, January 12, 2018. (Brandon Wade/Special Contributor) Han and Buchanan were surprised, too. But the area "isn't what people think it is," said Buchanan, a 24-year-old Boston native. "It's a lot more metropolitan than I think people in the New England area make it out to be," added Han, a 22-year-old from Connecticut who competes for Australia. Han moved to North Texas to train in August 2016, looking to escape a two-year slump after competing in the 2014 Olympics. Buchanan soon saw Han on TV at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. Han was skating a routine honed in Euless that she said perfectly captures her "sassy, sultry tango diva" persona. Her huge smile caught Buchanan's attention. "Aimee looked on TV and said, 'I want that,'" Darlene Cain said. "'I want that because I need that.' When we got back, she called up." Buchanan moved to Euless to train in April and qualified for Israel's Olympic team eight months later. Now the two women, Australian and Israeli Olympic skaters, help encourage, coach and motivate each other and their Team USA training mates in Euless. The Olympic training is what each envisioned growing up, when Han told her mom she could "play my violin at Carnegie Hall, like, whenever" but only skate in her youthful prime. Buchanan had begged her mom to quit gymnastics and softball because she'd drawn up a plan to become an Olympic skater. Neither saw North Texas in the plans back then, but neither can imagine her skating career without the Cains now. "It was definitely a breath of fresh air coming down here," Han said. Now, the self-described skating ambassadors defy stereotypes. They don't let claims that DeLuc isn't manly enough to skate, or that Cain is too tall and distracted, stop them. They've instead found that her height helps the pair's leg lines match classically. Cain helps LeDuc lift her 5-6 frame. Each buoys the other's physical and emotional strength. And here’s @USFigureSkating pairs team @icegirlash and Tim LeDuc at work! Story on how North Texas became a hotbed for skating to come.. 4:06 PM - Jan 11, 2018 · Dr. Pepper Star Center In just 20 months, they've made a splash. Cain and LeDuc notched their second consecutive top-four finish at nationals in early January. They powered a graceful short program and spunky free skate to the Four Continents Championship silver medal in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 28, posting their best career scores in each event and their aggregate. "This is the partnership I've been waiting for," LeDuc said. They're technically Olympians as third alternates for Pyeongchang pairs. But barring the unexpected call-up, Cain and LeDuc's sights are set firmly on Beijing 2022. Olympian figure skater Aimee Buchanan, representing Israel, practices her routine at the Dr. Pepper Stars Center in Euless, Friday, January 12, 2018. (Brandon Wade/Special Contributor) During a Thursday afternoon in January in Euless, Peter and Darlene Cain crouched over the rink wall bundled in long coats and gloves. Nearly a dozen elite skaters glided across the ice practicing strokes, triple axels, back arches and more, music shifting to feature each skater's program ahead of their next chance to wow on the world stage. Skaters started dressed in layers, whisking past their coaches over the course of the warmup to ditch vests, scarves and sweatshirts. Their body temperatures, like their skating skills, warmed up. Their smiles, too, as Peter told one pair that one move was "spectacular" and Darlene reminded a junior skater hoping to crack senior ranks to slow down on her crossover. "That took me nine years," Buchanan said, skating by to pitch in reassuring words. "But when you land it, the world is brighter." All the migrant skaters have found their worlds a little brighter since moving to Texas, they say, reminded why they love the sport and that pursuing it at an elite level need not ruin their lives. Yes, they can eat cake, skaters learned. No, they won't skate when seriously injured. "I did the flip!" Buchanan said, coming to the wall to celebrate, the smile creeping across and lighting up her eyes. Ashley Cain and LeDuc continued in unison in the background, long limbs extended as she twirled in midair at his lift. They were in synergy, speaking their silent language, unfocused on the slights of their career as they locked in on Four Continents preparation. In some ways, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in early January best showcased what the Cains have built up. Eight elite skaters traveled from Euless to San Jose to compete, showing the skating world what North Texas has blooming. Cain and LeDuc's fourth-place pairs finish elicited electric cheers, Peter Cain said, unlike what he's seen before. Rainbow flags waved eagerly in the stands. Texas flags, too. But in other ways, this typical Thursday at the rink co-owned by the Dallas Stars and city of Euless better captures the Cains' essence. The Canadian and Australian coaches have created a skating facility about as Texan as can be, considering skaters' happiness as their best advertisement for the small-business-feel rink that's nurturing athletes into a powerhouse. "It's amazing," Ashley Cain said of what has developed in Euless. "I think Texas people are very proud, and they should be." Twitter: @JoriEpstein Figure skating hotbeds States that produce the most elite figure skaters, with number of skaters on the national team: State No. California 18 Colorado 13 Michigan 11 Florida 9 Texas 6 Maryland 5 Note: Ten of Michigan's 11 national team members are ice dancers. Eight of Florida's nine national team members are pairs skaters. Names to know in Texas figure skating Name Country Event Age Aimee Buchanan Israel Singles 24 Moved to Euless to train in April. She will compete in the team event for Israel in Pyeongchang. Ashley Cain U.S. Pairs 22 Daughter of Cain coaches switched back from singles to pairs in 2016 to join Timothy LeDuc as he emerged from retirement. Timothy Dolensky U.S. Singles 25 2012 U.S. junior silver medalist finished seventh at U.S. Championships in January. Amber Glenn U.S. Singles 18 2014 U.S. junior champion competes in the team's C envelope, its third tier. Placed eighth at U.S. Championships this year. Brooklee Han Australia Singles 22 Name Country Event Age Won Australia's national championship in 2013, before competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where she finished 20th. She is Australia's ladies alternate this year. Alex Krasnozhon U.S. Singles 17 Won the men's junior title this year. The St. Petersburg native skated for Russia until 2013 but now competes for the U.S. Timothy LeDuc U.S. Pairs 27 He and Cain placed fourth at nationals this year and second at the Four Continents Championship in January. They are third alternates for the Olympics. Jimmy Ma U.S. Men 22 Ma's 11th-place finish at the U.S. National Championships went viral when he skated to "Turn Down for What."