✏️Huckabee group acquired; Colleyville at Witt's end

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Private equity group Wind Point Partners of Chicago has acquired Fort Worth-based MOREgroup, which offers a turnkey suite of architecture, design and engineering services. MOREgroup brands include Huckabee, e4h, IEG, and tsk, with more than 700 employees and 2,000 projects annually. Chris Huckabee and MOREgroup’s senior management team will continue its leadership and retain an ownership stake, according to a press release.

According to Insight Research Corp., AllianceTexas, Hillwood’s 27,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use development has generated an estimated $119.8 billion in regional economic impact during the past 35 years. More than $9.84 billion was created in 2023. Total investment has surpassed $15.2 billion, with $14.1 billion coming from the private sector. Public investment is $1.1 billion, representing more than a 13-to-1 private-to-public investment multiple. During its 35 years, AllianceTexas has paid more than $3.8 billion in taxes to public entities.

Colleyville's economic development may have received a huge boost this week when resident baseball star Bobby Witt Jr. signed a new contract with the Kansas City Royals. Witt, 23, a shortstop and third baseman, is locked up for 11 years at $288.7 million. The Royals have an option for three more years for an additional $89 million. 

Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse is coming to downtown Fort Worth at 969 Commerce St. It’s on the ground level of luxury apartment community Deco 969, a 302-unit, 27-story tower in the final stages of construction. Scheduled to open in late 2024, Broadway 10 is owned and operated by Oklahoma-based Provision Concepts, which opened the original in 2014 in a re-designed former Buick dealership in Oklahoma City. See dinner menu here.

Hiley Acura plans to build a dealership on West Loop 820, according to a state filing. Construction on the $13 million, 38,000-square-foot project is slated to start this April, with completion in October.

Sounds like BRIT-Botanic Gardens: Fort Worth agreed in December with Event Facilities Fort Worth (EFFW), a non-profit supporting organization of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, to manage the Will Rogers Memorial Center Coliseum renovations and potentially other capital projects. The deal formalizes the planning and delivery of capital projects promptly and efficiently. In 2020, the city turned over Fort Worth Botanic Garden management to BRIT. One constant with BRIT and EFFW is Ed Bass. He does get things done. 

Lion Real Estate Group has acquired 240-unit District 2308, a Class B multi-family property two miles north of AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Lion plans to update every unit with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, new flooring, refreshed paint, and other premium upgrades. Lion owns 2,226 units in D-FW.

The University of North Texas Health Science Center has opened its application process for its first nursing students. The degree programs offered beginning in August are the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Master of Science in Nursing Practice Innovation.

Pioneer Natural Resources said shareholders have voted in favor of its pending $59+ billion merger with Exxon Mobil Corp. The deal still is being scrutinized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The 2024-2025 Texas Business Licenses & Permits Guide is available. It lists state permits that may be required to operate more than 300 business types in Texas and guide a business toward state resources for help. Texas says it is downloaded more than 17,000 times a year.

Fort Worth staff and community partners will explore effective solutions and strategies to address homelessness and its impact during a workshop Feb. 13. The public is welcome to attend beginning at 11 a.m. in Conference Room 2020 at City Hall, or can tune in on the city’s YouTube channel.

Snippets:

• Baylor is hiring former TCU coach Gary Patterson as a senior consultant to head football coach Dave Aranda. Last season, Patterson was a consultant with the Texas Longhorns.

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says the state's lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s “asylum rule” will move forward after a court denied the federal government’s attempt to dismiss the case.

• Chef Tim Love is participating in the Taste of the NFL to raise awareness about hunger during Super Bowl weekend. Here’s the recipe for what he’ll be cooking.

Why did car insurance get so expensive? Rates in the U.S. have risen 37% since January 2020 as repair tabs for high-tech, sensor-laden vehicles have soared. The average bill for the repair of an American vehicle is $4,437 (per incident), and for an electric vehicle, it’s $6,618, about 49% higher. Collision insurance claims have increased 64% between 2018 and 2022, fueled by increasingly sophisticated cars and more complicated things that need fixing when broken. We are no longer just hammering out dents but rather taking computers out of the car and fixing it.

Bishop Michael Olson announced that Pope Francis has bestowed the Benemerenti Medal on 15 Catholics who have provided exceptional service to the Diocese of Fort Worth, including one posthumous award. The awards will be presented at St. Patrick Cathedral on Saturday, February 10, at 5 pm.

People on the move:

• oneworld alliance: Selects Nathaniel “Nat” Pieper as CEO

• Gore Range Capital: Adds Balaji Jothishankar as Entrepreneur in Residence

• D.R. Horton: Adds Ren Knight for new home sales

Significant stat: Nearly 68 million American adults (about one in four) plan to bet $23 billion on this year’s Super Bowl. That’s a 35% increase over last year, the previous record.

Believe it or not: A man who spent years building the Eiffel Tower with 700K matchsticks was initially denied the world record for using the wrong matches. Guinness World Records yesterday admitted it was too 'heavy-handed' in rejecting the entry - and gave him the title.

Things worth checking out:

• Two used Rolex models rose in value in a year of falling watch prices.

• They’ve lived 100 years. Here’s their advice about everything. (WaPo gift article)

• Fourteen things you should do in your first 100 days as CEO.

Last poll results: Do you think the U.S. is ready for a four-day workweek? Answers: Yes (61%), No (39%).