Mayor Joe McCourry looks back on another great year in The Colony
While there are still a few days of 2014 on the calendar, now is a good time to look back on what was another exciting year of growth and progress in The Colony. For starters, I’m sure everyone can see the construction moving along at Nebraska Furniture Mart on State Highway 121. This amazing store uses the latest technology to monitor the very best prices on products and even the parking garage will guide you to the closest open spot. Nebraska Furniture Mart is scheduled to open in the spring of 2015.
Nebraska Furniture Mart at Grandscape is just months away from opening.
Thanks to the hard work of our Economic Development team and our partners at NFM, we were excited to announce in October a host of new tenants eager to be a part of Grandscape, including Cheddar’s, Hard 8 BBQ, Rock & Brews, Homewood Suites, and Hampton Inn & Suites.
Already open is an In-N-Out Burger restaurant, while a Rooms-To-Go furniture store and a Courtyard by Marriott at the Cascades are under construction. Many more restaurants, hotels, and retail outlets are in the works along the 121 corridor and elsewhere in the city.
The Texas Department of Transportation began reconstruction of Main Street in October.
It’s not all new business, though. Road construction remains a theme in our community as we grow our infrastructure alongside our economy. Work continues on the South Colony Boulevard Overpass and the Memorial-Spring Creek Connector, but the big story from 2014 was the beginning of the Main Street Widening Project. We’ve waited many years for the start of this project and are excited to see it finally moving forward.
This $77 million project is being managed by the Texas Department of Transportation and funded by Denton County and the North Central Texas Council of Governments. It will transform our roughshod four-lane road into a modernized, six-lane thoroughfare in about three years’ time. As the construction progresses, we will make every effort to keep you apprised of the progress, including scheduled lane closures. Be sure to visit the city’s website, www.thecolonytx.gov, to get the latest information about the project.
Mayor Joe McCourry visited with Nebraska Furniture Mart employees during a press event at the site in October.
I can’t say enough about the hard work of our great city staff. Their efforts have yielded numerous accolades in 2014. The Colony Police Department recently received accreditation from the Texas Police Chiefs Association, a distinction only 107 out of 2,400 state law enforcement agencies can boast. The Finance Department is now a Platinum Member of the Texas Comptroller’s Leadership Circle for meeting the highest standards of financial transparency for five years in a row. The Convention & Visitors Bureau’s newly restyled website won a first-place award from the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. And thanks to the efforts of our Parks & Recreation Department, the city has once again earned Tree City USA status.
I could go on and on about all the news and accomplishments from 2014. But for now, on behalf of everyone at the city, I wish you a Happy New Year! I have no doubt 2015 will be yet another banner year for the City of The Colony.
The Colony, Texas 