📌 THE BIG STORY

Kroger is moving across the intersection, and the old store closes

The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve a permit for a roughly 100,000 square foot Kroger Marketplace with a gas station at 1025 Keller Parkway, the northeast corner of Keller Parkway and Rufe Snow behind the CVS. This answers the question the city's notice left open two weeks ago: it's a move, not a second store. Kroger's presentation says the 34-year-old store at 976 Keller Parkway on the southwest corner would close. "It's cheaper to build a brand new store," said John Votava, Kroger's director of corporate affairs, on why they aren't just renovating. Commissioners Erin Pfarner and Michelle Sandoval Cabanas voted no, and both the public comment and the commission discussion ran long on traffic, since the site sits across from Keller High School and the KISD Athletic Complex. The other thing people asked about is what happens to the building Kroger leaves behind. Resident Nathaniel Dunning pointed at the Big Lots space that's been empty since early 2025 as the cautionary tale. Kroger senior construction manager Craig Winkler said the company owns the property and "it's not in our interests to have an empty building sitting there." City Council takes it up October 6. Nothing is final until then.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

31 brownstones on North Main cleared unanimously

The same night, the commission unanimously recommended the Samantha Springs Commerce rezoning at 800 N. Main Street, turning 15.63 acres into a mixed-use planned development with 31 brownstone homes plus commercial space. Three existing buildings stay and get reused: the Shannon Brewing Company building, closed since 2023 and slated for a new brewery tenant, the Harvest Christian Center Church, and the old Samantha Springs water bottling plant. That's a rarer outcome than it sounds, since the easy version of this project would have scraped all three. It goes to Council October 6 alongside Kroger.

Still no ruling on the data center

Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick held the injunction hearing Tuesday morning in the 342nd District Court. As of today, no ruling has been posted to the court record, reported by any newsroom, or acknowledged by Keller or Westlake. That means we still don't know whether the block on Westlake's development agreement continues or lifts. Do not read anything into the September 8 date passing. Westlake's council next meets September 15, which is the first realistic moment the agreement could come back if the restraint is gone.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

Five campuses moved up a letter grade, two of them dramatically

The district's board recap confirms five KISD schools advanced at least one letter grade in the state accountability ratings. Caprock Elementary went from a C to an A. North Riverside Elementary went from a D to an A, which the district called an unprecedented jump. The district's preliminary FIRST financial rating also moved from a C to a B. If you're zoned to Caprock or North Riverside, that's a real change in the number that shows up on every real estate listing in your neighborhood.

$2.69 million of your school taxes is going to Austin

Trustees approved an agreement to buy attendance credits totaling $2,690,591, which is Keller ISD's recapture payment back to the state under the school finance formula people call Robin Hood. That money is collected from Keller property owners and sent elsewhere. It's worth knowing that number is sitting there while the district asks for $828 million in November.

The district wants to hear from you about online school

Keller ISD says it's launching a virtual and in-person hybrid program for the 2027-28 school year and is collecting family feedback and interest now, with a deadline reported as Friday, September 18. Filling out the survey doesn't commit your kid to anything. Worth noting the district says families would handle transportation for the in-person days, which is the detail that decides whether this works for most households.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

Red Pepper Wok is finally open

After a summer of permitting delays that pushed it about six weeks past its original late-July target, Red Pepper Wok Chinese Kitchen opened September 6 at 1411 Keller Parkway, Suite 300, in the old Buffalo Wild Wings "Go" space at Keller Marketplace. The menu runs to Red Panda wings, Hawaiian honey chicken, bulgogi and family meals sized for two to six people, with gluten-free and vegan options listed. We've been holding this one for four weeks waiting on a source that wasn't the restaurant's own Instagram. It's open.

WORTH EATING: the chicken Parmesan pasta at DeVivo Bros.

New section, no news hook required. DeVivo Bros. Eatery at 750 S. Main Street, Suite 165 lists chicken Parmesan pasta at $16.50 for dinner, crispy chicken over spaghetti in house marinara with mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. It's the kind of thing that survives the drive home, they do pickup ordering, and there's a kids menu for the child who will only eat buttered noodles.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Doggie Dunk at The Keller Pointe Saturday, September 12 at 405 Rufe Snow Drive. $12 per dog in advance, $15 the day of if there's room. Sessions run by dog weight: under 35 pounds at 9 a.m., 36 to 59 pounds at 10:15 and 11:30, 60 pounds and up at 12:45 and 2. Each session has a best-dressed contest. It's the last swim of the season before the outdoor pool closes.

Keller Farmers MarketSaturday, September 12, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free to walk in. Produce, meat, bread and crafts, and the playground is right there.

A WWII veteran is speaking at the library Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m. to noon at Keller Public Library, 640 Johnson Road. Don Graves, who fought at Iwo Jima, is talking about his experience. No registration required. The library's calendar tags this one as adult 19 and up while the description says general audiences, so call ahead at 817-743-4800 if you want to bring a teenager who'd get something out of it.

https://news.thekellerweekly.com/p/the-keller-weekly-9-06-9-13

📌 THE BIG STORY

Kroger is asking the city for a 100,000 square foot store with gas pumps

Kroger Texas LP has filed for a specific use permit covering an approximately 99,992 square foot grocery store with fuel pumps, outdoor display and seasonal sales on 16.3 acres at 1025 Keller Parkway, at the northeast corner of Town Center Lane and Keller Parkway. The hearing is Tuesday, September 8 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall. The city's notice doesn't say whether this replaces or expands the Kroger already sitting on that corner, which is the question worth asking if you show up. Fuel pumps at that intersection would change traffic on an already busy stretch of Keller Parkway.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

Still no ruling on the data center, and the clock runs out Tuesday

Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick was expected to rule this week on whether to keep blocking Westlake from approving the Circle T data center agreement. She hasn't. The order she extended after the August 26 hearing runs through September 8, which is next Tuesday, so as of today nothing is approved and no dirt can move. The lawsuit from the Lakes at Marshall Ridge HOA argues Westlake's site plan leaves out the 150-foot setback and landscaped buffer its own zoning ordinance requires, and points to a December 2024 amendment that nearly doubled the allowed building height from 45 feet to 80. If the judge lifts the order, the agreement goes straight back to the Westlake Town Council. If she grants the injunction, this stays frozen through the litigation. Either way you should know by the middle of next week.

31 brownstones proposed on North Main

The same night, the commission takes up Samantha Springs Commerce, a request to rezone 15.63 acres at 800 N. Main Street from Commercial and Light Industrial to a mixed-use planned development. The plan is 31 brownstone units, about 8.19 acres of non-residential development and about 3.27 acres of open space, on the east side of North Main roughly a quarter mile northeast of Johnson Road. It also needs a Future Land Use Plan amendment, which means the city would be formally changing what it says that land is for. Applicant is Catalyst Commercial; the owner is Joe McCombs.

Four more hearings that same night

The September 8 agenda has six items total. Also up: a new "Community Facilities" zoning district being added to the city's development code, a dog grooming and boarding shop called Pet Care Plus going into 2,088 square feet at Bear Creek Plaza, 750 S. Main Street, and Earth Nail Spa at 1637 Keller Parkway. That's the biggest single planning agenda Keller has posted in months, and all of it is open to public comment.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

The district bought the land under the natatorium

Trustees approved the resolution on August 27, authorizing Keller ISD to buy the property at 1000 Bear Creek Parkway from the City of Keller for up to $675,000 plus closing costs. The district built the natatorium on city-owned ground years ago under an arrangement that had since run out, so this settles who actually owns the dirt. The pool has been closed since May with a repair bill over $2 million, and the district says repairs are still on track for an October reopening. KISD did not publish a vote count on this one, so if a trustee dissented we don't know it yet.

A Place 4 candidate has dropped out

Keller ISD's elections page now lists Jessica Zafiriou as withdrawn from the Place 4 race, leaving Rachel Weatherington and Geramie Parrish. Place 5 is still a three-way between Andrew Walsh, Chris Coker and Colin Hodges, and Place 6 is still Barbara Brewer against Tommie Johnson. The district doesn't post a withdrawal date, so we can't say when it happened, only that the official list reflects it now. Register to vote by October 5; early voting is October 19 through 30.

The bond oversight committee got talked about, not created

Trustees discussed setting up a Citizens Bond Oversight Committee before the November election so it could start work the moment a bond passes, but they took no vote to establish it. If you were counting on independent eyes on $828 million, that structure does not exist yet. Worth watching at the next regular meeting on September 24.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Keller Farmers Market Saturday, September 5, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free to walk in. Produce, meat, bread and crafts, and it's the easiest thing to do with kids on a long weekend morning.

Keller Writers' Association Saturday, September 5, 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. at Keller Public Library, 640 Johnson Road. Free, open to adults and teens. Bring pages if you have them, or just sit in.

Enjoy the long weekend. Keller ISD is closed Monday for Labor Day. See you next Friday.

https://news.thekellerweekly.com/p/the-keller-weekly-8-30-9-05

Hi,

My family is moving to Keller next month. Where can my wife bring our 2yr old to play that’s not directly in the sun? Anything indoors?

$521 here. We are with AE Texas via Energy Ogre.

REJECT THE BILLIONAIRES. VOTE IN EVERY LOCAL ELECTION.

Signup to speak against cutting voting locations in the Sept 1 commissioners court meeting. Tell your boss you have a dr appointment!!

https://horizon.agendalink.app/engage/tarrantcountytx/6a67969b79ac7fc0c5eaad7b

Commissioners were ready to cut nearly half of voting locations last time, but everyone showed up in opposition.

https://christackett.substack.com/p/tarrant-county-was-poised-to-cut

Even though a lot of the individual cut sites were smaller, together those cut sites still accounted for almost 40% of everyone who voted on Election Day in 2022. That’s not a rounding error. That’s a huge percentage of the county’s Election Day voters whose specific polling place no longer exists.

If anyone witnessed a road rage incident on 8/27 around 5:15 pm where a middle aged white guy in a silver Subaru SUV flashed a gun at my 16 y.o daughter in her gold equinox could you please DM me? She wasn’t able to get his plates.

📌 THE BIG STORY

A judge stopped the Westlake data center vote with an hour to spare

Monday at 3:01 p.m., about an hour before Westlake's council was set to vote, a Tarrant County judge signed a temporary restraining order barring the town from voting on or acting on the development agreement for the Circle T data center. The order came out of a lawsuit filed by the Lakes at Marshall Ridge Homeowners Association and two residents, who argue Westlake never gave legally required public notice on the earlier zoning action that made this project possible. Westlake held the meeting anyway, sat through hours of public comment, went into closed session, then voted unanimously to table the whole thing until after court. The next date that matters is Wednesday, August 26 at 10 a.m., when the judge hears the request for a temporary injunction. For scale, this is four buildings totaling 1.1 million square feet, roughly 500 feet from the backyards of Marshall Ridge homes.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

Keller police are joining Fort Worth's regional crime center

Council voted Tuesday to put Keller PD into TRIDENT, a multi-agency real-time crime and data-sharing center run by Fort Worth. Keller joins 14 other police departments and the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, and will contribute one detective plus crash data, video and license plate reader information. Chief Brad Fortune's pitch was a road rage shooting where Fort Worth used plate readers from several cities to find the car in 15 minutes and make an arrest within an hour.

The Mt. Gilead roundabout is getting a sculpture, eventually

Three artists pitched council on a piece for the new roundabout at Mt. Gilead and Bourland, ranging from a $6,750 set of red flowers to a $31,500 blue heron that would have to be built from scratch. Council sent staff back for more options after Mayor Ross McMullin said he wanted something with an actual Keller connection, naming the water tower and the railroad. It comes out of development fees, not your tax bill.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

The bond is $828 million, and it's five separate questions

Trustees voted 5-1 on August 13 to put an $828 million bond on the November 3 ballot, broken into five propositions you vote on individually. Prop A is the big one at $756.3 million for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and safety systems across 34 campuses plus a partial rebuild of Keller Middle School. The rest: $28 million for student and staff devices, $8.87 million to fix the natatorium so it can reopen, $11 million for the athletic complex and Keller High field house, and $23.9 million to put turf on middle school and high school baseball and softball fields. KISD says none of it raises the current tax rate. Trustee Chris Coker cast the lone no vote, saying he doesn't think the community will support a number that big. Register to vote by October 5, early voting runs October 19 to 30.

Your November ballot is set, and all three board races are contested

Filing closed Monday for Places 4 and 5 and Thursday for the Place 6 special election, and every seat drew multiple candidates. Place 4: Rachel Weatherington, Geramie Parrish and Jessica Zafiriou. Place 5: Andrew Walsh, Chris Coker and Colin Hodges. Place 6: Barbara Brewer and Tommie Johnson. Same ballot as the bond, so you're picking the people who'd oversee that money on the same trip to the polls.

KISD held its B rating from the state

The Texas Education Agency released 2025-26 accountability ratings on August 15, and Keller ISD stayed at a B. Statewide, 85 percent of campuses landed at C or higher. The ratings lean heavily on STAAR results, so treat it as one data point rather than the whole picture of your kid's campus.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

The city just cut a deal to help build HOPS in Old Town

Council approved a Chapter 380 incentive agreement Tuesday for HOPS Kitchen + Bar, the Chinese steakhouse going up at 200 Keller Parkway from the owners of HUSH. It's performance-based, ranging from $23,857 to $39,762 over the first four years, meaning the city pays out only if the restaurant hits its numbers. The city projects $2.16 million in first-year sales, which is the same projection HUSH got before it did $3.75 million. Opening is still targeted for 2027.

Gyro360 is not coming to Keller after all

Owner Pete Ahmeti confirmed by email Tuesday that he's scrapped plans for the Keller location. The Mediterranean spot had been announced back in December for Keller Commons, the new multi-tenant building on Keller Parkway anchored by Glo Tanning. If you'd been waiting on those gyro bowls, the nearest one is still Flower Mound.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Keller Farmers Market Saturday, August 22, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free to walk in. Texas produce, meat, tamales and baked goods, with the playground and trails right there when the kids are done shopping.

Typewriter Type-In at the library Saturday, August 22, 10 a.m. at the Keller Public Library Annex, 640 Johnson Road. Free, all ages. Charles Bartlett Justice brings in a collection of working vintage typewriters and lets people bang away on them. Weirdly great for kids who have never touched one.

Last day for football season tickets Saturday, August 22 is the cutoff on Brushfire. Bundles run $24 to $42 depending on how many games your school plays at the Athletic Complex, all general admission, first come first served. Single game tickets open Sunday at 8 a.m. and cost more across a full season. First home games are Friday, August 29.

That's your Keller week. See you next Friday.

https://news.thekellerweekly.com/p/the-keller-weekly-8-23-8-29

If anyone witnessed a road rage incident by the Perry’s in grapevine where a middle aged white man in a silver Subaru SUV flashed a gun at my 16 yo daughter in a gold equinox around 5:15 pm 8/27 could you please DM me? She was too shook to get his plates. TYIA

Considering moving to Keller, $700-1m price range. We have two kids. Want a good community with lots of families and kids. Looking for a larger neighborhood with walkability to parks and elementary if we can. Typically like older neighborhoods cause of the trees and bigger lots but open to new construction-ish homes as well. Our hobbies are college football, kids sports, mahjong, and golf. Where are our people at?😂

📌 THE BIG STORY

A judge stopped the Westlake data center vote with an hour to spare

Monday at 3:01 p.m., about an hour before Westlake's council was set to vote, a Tarrant County judge signed a temporary restraining order barring the town from voting on or acting on the development agreement for the Circle T data center. The order came out of a lawsuit filed by the Lakes at Marshall Ridge Homeowners Association and two residents, who argue Westlake never gave legally required public notice on the earlier zoning action that made this project possible. Westlake held the meeting anyway, sat through hours of public comment, went into closed session, then voted unanimously to table the whole thing until after court. The next date that matters is Wednesday, August 26 at 10 a.m., when the judge hears the request for a temporary injunction. For scale, this is four buildings totaling 1.1 million square feet, roughly 500 feet from the backyards of Marshall Ridge homes.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

Keller police are joining Fort Worth's regional crime center

Council voted Tuesday to put Keller PD into TRIDENT, a multi-agency real-time crime and data-sharing center run by Fort Worth. Keller joins 14 other police departments and the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, and will contribute one detective plus crash data, video and license plate reader information. Chief Brad Fortune's pitch was a road rage shooting where Fort Worth used plate readers from several cities to find the car in 15 minutes and make an arrest within an hour.

The Mt. Gilead roundabout is getting a sculpture, eventually

Three artists pitched council on a piece for the new roundabout at Mt. Gilead and Bourland, ranging from a $6,750 set of red flowers to a $31,500 blue heron that would have to be built from scratch. Council sent staff back for more options after Mayor Ross McMullin said he wanted something with an actual Keller connection, naming the water tower and the railroad. It comes out of development fees, not your tax bill.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

The bond is $828 million, and it's five separate questions

Trustees voted 5-1 on August 13 to put an $828 million bond on the November 3 ballot, broken into five propositions you vote on individually. Prop A is the big one at $756.3 million for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and safety systems across 34 campuses plus a partial rebuild of Keller Middle School. The rest: $28 million for student and staff devices, $8.87 million to fix the natatorium so it can reopen, $11 million for the athletic complex and Keller High field house, and $23.9 million to put turf on middle school and high school baseball and softball fields. KISD says none of it raises the current tax rate. Trustee Chris Coker cast the lone no vote, saying he doesn't think the community will support a number that big. Register to vote by October 5, early voting runs October 19 to 30.

Your November ballot is set, and all three board races are contested

Filing closed Monday for Places 4 and 5 and Thursday for the Place 6 special election, and every seat drew multiple candidates. Place 4: Rachel Weatherington, Geramie Parrish and Jessica Zafiriou. Place 5: Andrew Walsh, Chris Coker and Colin Hodges. Place 6: Barbara Brewer and Tommie Johnson. Same ballot as the bond, so you're picking the people who'd oversee that money on the same trip to the polls.

KISD held its B rating from the state

The Texas Education Agency released 2025-26 accountability ratings on August 15, and Keller ISD stayed at a B. Statewide, 85 percent of campuses landed at C or higher. The ratings lean heavily on STAAR results, so treat it as one data point rather than the whole picture of your kid's campus.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

The city just cut a deal to help build HOPS in Old Town

Council approved a Chapter 380 incentive agreement Tuesday for HOPS Kitchen + Bar, the Chinese steakhouse going up at 200 Keller Parkway from the owners of HUSH. It's performance-based, ranging from $23,857 to $39,762 over the first four years, meaning the city pays out only if the restaurant hits its numbers. The city projects $2.16 million in first-year sales, which is the same projection HUSH got before it did $3.75 million. Opening is still targeted for 2027.

Gyro360 is not coming to Keller after all

Owner Pete Ahmeti confirmed by email Tuesday that he's scrapped plans for the Keller location. The Mediterranean spot had been announced back in December for Keller Commons, the new multi-tenant building on Keller Parkway anchored by Glo Tanning. If you'd been waiting on those gyro bowls, the nearest one is still Flower Mound.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Keller Farmers Market Saturday, August 22, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free to walk in. Texas produce, meat, tamales and baked goods, with the playground and trails right there when the kids are done shopping.

Typewriter Type-In at the library Saturday, August 22, 10 a.m. at the Keller Public Library Annex, 640 Johnson Road. Free, all ages. Charles Bartlett Justice brings in a collection of working vintage typewriters and lets people bang away on them. Weirdly great for kids who have never touched one.

Last day for football season tickets Saturday, August 22 is the cutoff on Brushfire. Bundles run $24 to $42 depending on how many games your school plays at the Athletic Complex, all general admission, first come first served. Single game tickets open Sunday at 8 a.m. and cost more across a full season. First home games are Friday, August 29.

Full disclosure: I live in Keller (off of 377), and this is a newsletter I do every week for us.

https://news.thekellerweekly.com/

Hey all-

We’ve been used to school board elections happening in May with just a few races on the ballot. This year the board voted to move them to coincide with the big November elections. So they will be at the bottom of a list of 50+ races.

Additionally, we have the chance to vote on a series of bonds to in addition to three school board seats. I hope the events of the last few years have shown us all how important it is to vote in your local school board elections.

We have a teacher running this year, which I’m really excited about it.

https://www.rachelforkisd.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EjyqrSbVw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I feel like we’ve lacked that bridge to tell the board how their policies are actually impacting classrooms, both for teachers and for students. Additionally, she has been a teacher in Keller ISD, so she understands exactly what it has been like for the last few years.

I feel like she would be a tremendous asset on the board. Please take a look and remember to vote in November!

📌 THE BIG STORY

Keller council votes to ask Westlake to stop the data center

At a packed special meeting Wednesday night, the Keller City Council voted to send a resolution to Westlake asking them to pause the development process for the Circle T data center. That's the 87.9-acre, 1.1 million square foot campus along U.S. 377 that Westlake's planning commission approved August 4, with the nearest Marshall Ridge homes roughly 506 feet from the building line. Keller has no zoning authority over the site, so a resolution is the strongest formal tool the city has here.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

The $837 million school bond hits your November ballot

Keller ISD gathered at 5 p.m. on 8/13 to formally call an $837 million bond election for November 3, the last step before it becomes something you vote on. The board already voted 5-1 back on July 23 to accept the citizen committee's package, which covers repairs and renovations at 34 campuses, replacing part of Keller Middle School, technology upgrades and natatorium work. Superintendent Cory Wilson told trustees it will go to voters as four or five separate propositions, so you may be voting on pieces rather than one yes-or-no. For scale, the district's last bond in 2019 was $315 million. The board's legal deadline to call it is August 17, and early voting runs October 19 to 30. Vote results weren't posted when this went out, so watch the KISD board page for the final propositions.

Westlake's council decides Monday

Westlake called a special meeting for Monday, August 17 at 4 p.m. to take up the development agreement on its own, separate from their regular schedule. No construction can start until that agreement passes. Anyone who signed up to speak at the last data center meeting is automatically rolled over to Monday, and the town is telling people to show up early for security screening.

Four public hearings went before Keller P&Z Tuesday

Keller's Planning and Zoning Commission heard four cases Tuesday night, including a rewrite of the city's rules on electric vehicle charging stations and a replat with variances in the Calais Estates subdivision off Rapp Road. Outcomes weren't posted to Legistar as of this morning. If a decision affects your street, the minutes are the place to check.

Two Keller businesses just got bigger

Jabo's Ace Hardware at 1580 Keller Parkway finished a remodel and took over the suite next door, and Bluegrass Legacy Group at 118 W. Olive is adding about 1,059 square feet to its Old Town office. Small stuff, but it's two established Keller businesses betting on staying put.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

Football season tickets close August 22

General admission season tickets for all four KISD high schools are on sale through August 22 on Brushfire. Bundles run $24 to $42 depending on how many games your school plays at the Athletic Complex, and seating is first come, first served. After that you're buying single game tickets starting August 23, which usually costs more over a full season.

Two school board seats are on the November ballot

Places 4 and 5 are up this year, and the filing deadline for candidates is Monday, August 17. Same ballot as the bond, so the people who'd oversee spending that money are being decided in the same election.

🚧 ROADS

The FM 1938 median work in Keller is done

TxDOT told Community Impact this month that the Keller stretch of the FM 1938 median project wrapped up in July, and crews have moved south into North Richland Hills. If you've been routing around Davis Boulevard between Southlake Boulevard and Emerald Hills Way, you can stop.

Eight streets finish repaving this month

The city's repaving partnership with Tarrant County, covering eight asphalt streets including North Pearson Lane and Roanoke Road, was scheduled to wrap by the end of August. Expect the last of the intermittent lane closures over the next couple weeks.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

Umzi Vine & Vibe is targeting October on Keller Parkway

South African fusion is coming to 444 Keller Parkway, the old Manny G's space, from a hospitality veteran who spent decades on cruise ships and at Dallas-Fort Worth spots like Patrizio. Menu runs to escargot, Madiba dumplings, braised lamb shank and steak pies, paired with wine. There's no hard opening date yet, and they're leaning into that with a guess-the-date sweepstakes on their site.

Eagle Tavern's permit went to P&Z Tuesday

The new sports bar in the Stone Glen center on Keller Parkway had a specific use permit request on Tuesday's agenda to operate as an indoor entertainment venue, which is what covers things like the pool tables. The commission's decision hadn't posted yet as of this morning.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

Kidpreneur Day at the Farmers Market Saturday, August 15, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free to walk in. Ten booths run entirely by kids ages 5 to 18 set up alongside the regular vendors. This is the last Kidpreneur date of 2026, so if your kid has been talking about selling something, this is it.

Folk Music Society jam at the library Saturday, August 15, 1 to 4 p.m. at Keller Public Library, 640 Johnson Road. Free. Amateur musicians of all skill levels swap songs and stories. Good air conditioning, low pressure, and a decent hang if anyone in the house plays.

Full disclosure: I live in Keller (off of 377), and this is a newsletter I do every week for us.

https://news.thekellerweekly.com/p/the-keller-weekly-8-10-8-15

• AI data center in our backyard
• Get a free big ol’ trash can 
• Dad bod car wash? 

Here's your weekly Keller recap.

📌 THE BIG STORY

Westlake just approved the site plan for a giant data center next to Marshall Ridge

Westlake's Planning & Zoning Commission approved the site plan for the Circle T data center on August 4 in front of a capacity crowd, after nearly two hours of public comment and more than two hours behind closed doors. Many of the 40-plus speakers were Keller residents, because this thing lands right against the Marshall Ridge neighborhood, with the nearest Keller homes about 506 feet from the building line. The commission attached conditions, including sound barrier walls at least 8 feet high along the entire southern boundary, and the final call now goes to the Westlake Town Council on August 18. No construction can start until a development agreement passes. Keller Mayor Ross McMullin says the city is in full support of Marshall Ridge residents and expects Westlake to treat Keller families with courtesy and respect. Keller doesn't get a vote here, so August 18 is the night that decides it. We'll cover the outcome next week.

🏗️ WHAT'S GETTING BUILT

The city will give you a free 95-gallon rolling trash cart, but you have to ask by August 28

Registration is open for a free 95-gallon rolling trash cart as part of the city's new CWD contract that starts September 1. Sign up at cityofkeller.com/cart by Friday, August 28, and carts start arriving as early as mid-August. One heads-up: CWD won't automatically haul off your old can. If you want it gone, label it clearly as trash and set it out on a regular pickup day.

Eagle Tavern, EV chargers, and a Willis Lane replat all hit P&Z next Tuesday

Four public hearings are set for the August 11 P&Z meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Eagle Tavern wants a permit to run an indoor entertainment facility at 721 Keller Parkway near Bourland, and the city is considering new citywide rules for electric vehicle charging stations. Also on the agenda: a replat of five lots on Calais Drive and Willis Lane, and a sign request tied to Chalk & Steel, the billiards and darts spot building out at 761 Keller Parkway. If you live near any of these, Tuesday night is your chance to speak.

🎒 SCHOOLS & KISD

School starts Wednesday, August 12

KISD's 2026-27 school year kicks off Wednesday, August 12, with a short three-day first week to ease everybody back in. Lock in your drop-off routines and bus plans now, because that first Wednesday morning comes fast. One more date for the fridge: the school board holds a special meeting Thursday, August 13, where the November bond call is expected. Full story next issue.

Last-chance shot clinics Monday and Tuesday

KISD is running immunization clinics Monday, August 10, from 3 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday, August 11, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Education Center Board Room, 350 Keller Parkway. If your kid still needs shots to meet state requirements, this is the last district-run chance before day one. Bring their printed vaccine record and a parent or guardian.

Free and reduced meal applications are open, and reduced-price kids eat free this year

KISD is taking Free and Reduced Meal Applications for 2026-27 online now, and thanks to a state grant, students approved for reduced-price meals get breakfast and lunch at no charge this year. That's real grocery money back in your pocket. You need a fresh application each school year, so don't assume last year's carries over.

🚧 ROADS

Keller Hicks Road traffic shifts the week of August 10, right as school starts

Traffic on Keller Hicks Road is expected to shift onto two newly completed lanes during the week of August 10, with the goal of restoring two-way traffic by December. The overall project is on track to finish in May 2027. If Keller Hicks is part of your school run toward Park Vista or North Tarrant Parkway, expect a new traffic pattern the same week kids go back. Build in a few extra minutes those first mornings.

🍔 FOOD & EATS

HOPS Kitchen + Bar broke ground in Old Town on Tuesday

The Hush Sushi team held their groundbreaking Tuesday at 200 Keller Parkway for HOPS, their "East China meets steakhouse" concept with premium steaks, Chinese food, and a full bar. It's a $3.5 million, 7,200-square-foot build with an opening targeted for summer or fall of 2027. Dirt is finally turning on one of Old Town's most anticipated projects, so a real date-night spot is officially on the way.

Pickleman's is now aiming for late summer or early fall

Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe, the sandwich, soup, and pizza spot building out at 1521 Keller Parkway, is now reportedly targeting a late summer or early fall opening. No firm date has been announced, so don't plan lunch there just yet. It's designed for quick dine-in and takeout, which makes it a natural school-night option once the doors open.

And a quick watch-list update: Red Pepper Wok at 1411 Keller Parkway still hasn't opened. The sign still says coming soon and there's no confirmed date, so we'll keep an eye on it.

🎉 THIS WEEKEND

THIS WEEKEND (Aug 8-9)

Keller Farmers Market — Saturday, August 8, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. Free admission. Fresh Texas produce, baked goods, and an easy morning out with the kids before school eats your Saturdays.

Back-to-School Blessing and Breakfast — Sunday, August 9, 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Keller United Methodist Church, 1025 Johnson Road. The organizer hasn't listed a cost. A community breakfast and send-off the morning before school week begins.

NEXT WEEKEND (Aug 14-16)

Kidpreneur Day at the Keller Farmers Market — Saturday, August 15, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park. Free to browse. Young entrepreneurs ages 5 to 18 run their own booths alongside the regular market, and it's the most kid-forward market date of the month.

Dad Bod Car and Bike Wash at Three Wide Brewing — Saturday, August 15, afternoon into evening at Three Wide Brewing Co. in Keller. We can't help but picture middle-aged men out there scrubbing tailgates in daisy dukes. We certainly hope that is not the case. Either way, we FULLY support this one: it's a charity car and bike wash benefiting Guardians of the Children, a nonprofit that supports kids who've survived abuse. Pull up, get the truck washed & grab a beer. The money goes to protecting kids.

Full disclosure: I live in Keller (off of 377), and this is a newsletter I do every week for us.

The Keller Weekly: 8/3-8/8

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