🔮Prediction: 42M Texans in 20 years; On, off, on, off, on...CTA is back; Arlington company sells for $2.7B.

A House bill introduced by Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth proposes Texas voters be presented with a constitutional amendment in November to “strictly regulate and authorize casino gaming and sports wagering.”

Enforcement of the landmark Corporate Transparency Act could resume within 30 days after a federal district judge lifted the preliminary injunction. As a result, beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reporting obligations under the CTA are back in effect and due by March 21.

Hillwood chairman Ross Perot Jr., a billionaire north Texas real estate developer and long-time Republican donor, said President Donald Trump’s tariff threats are emerging as a “big concern” and forcing business leaders to think twice before approving investments.

Texas is hurtling its way toward becoming the most populous U.S. state within 20 years. That's according to a Realtor.com real estate study conducted to celebrate the former California company’s move to Austin. Texas has added more residents -- 4 million -- than any state since 2015. It is expected to add 11 million more by 2045, hitting 42 million people and surpassing California for the crown of most populous U.S. state.

Arlington-based Kito Crosby has been sold by investment firm KKR to Columbus McKinnon Corporation of Charlotte, N.C. for $2.7 billion in cash. Kito Crosby is a leader in lifting and securement solutions with multiple manufacturing assembly plants and nearly 4,000 employees serving 50+ countries. Kito Crosby is led by Robert Desel and Yoshio Kito, and generated $1.1 billion in revenue during 2024.

A business park development has been approved for Colleyville. The property is 4.31 acres and located at 6521 Colleyville Blvd., and includes three buildings with 23 suites averaging 3,600 square feet. The development is expected to house professional and home service businesses. 

UT-Arlington and Texas A&M say they will launch a bio-manufacturing hub this summer at Pegasus Park to train the workforce powering north Texas’ biotech boom, according to Dallas Innovates. Funded in part by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the hub should help startups speed therapies, vaccines, and breakthrough biologics from lab bench to patients.

Driver safety management company Smith System, located on E. Lamar in Arlington, has acquired Brightmile, a U.K. driver behavior analytics solution. The acquisition enhances Smith System's ability to offer fleets data based on Brightmile's services that monitor and analyze driver behavior in real time.  

Aligned Data Centers filed plans for data centers in Mansfield and Plano. The Mansfield facility is situated on a 27-acre site at 3801 Britton Road with an on-site substation. Initial capacity is anticipated to be available as early as the fourth quarter of 2025. 

Real estate giant CoStar Group has acquired Ag-Analytics to bolster its data capabilities in land and agricultural real estate. Read more here.

Fort Worth received approval from the Texas Film Commission establishing the land within the city limits as a Media Production Development Zone (MPDZ), an incentive program designed to encourage the development of permanent moving image production sites and jobs. The incentive also encourages tangible investment in assets that strengthen the local tax base.

The status of Superintendent Tracy Johnson was confirmed during a special Keller ISD meeting after her voluntary resignation was unanimously accepted by the board of trustees. The board also approved an agreement with Dr. Cory Wilson, who was named interim superintendent Jan. 30.

A trio of civil liberty organizations — The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, National Coalition Against Censorship, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas — are demanding the Fort Worth Police Department end its seizure of several pieces of Sally Mann art that were on display at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The photographs were seized after calls for removal because of the "pornographic" nature of some of the works. 

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is expanding its emergency management training academy program to Fort Worth. TDEM said it is accepting applications now for the cadet class in Fort Worth set for October.

Fort Worth’s Fairhaven neighborhood has been selected for about $4 million in spending as recipient of the 2025 Neighborhood Improvement Program award. Implementation is in October, with completion set for September 2027. The NIP is an annual initiative focused on enhancing the quality of life in underserved neighborhoods.

With a go-ahead from Fort Worth to begin construction, architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) shows it’s latest plan for the National Juneteenth Museum. 

These delivery robots in Miami and L.A. are coming to D-FW by the end of Q2, according to Serve Robotics, which is partnering with Wing.

James E. Davis has been selected interim president of The University of Texas at Austin, effective immediately. Davis had been senior vice president and chief operating officer. A graduate of UT-Austin and Harvard Law School, he replaces Jay Hartzell, who left for SMU.

Snippets:

• Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest-priced iPhone. The iPhone SE replacement should be available Feb. 28.

• Is 2025 GameStop stock a buy, sell or hold as CEO Ryan Cohen flirts/teases with bitcoin?

• Texas Trust delivers $60k in scholarships to 20 local college students. 

• Texas Wesleyan's newspaper, The Rambler, talks with President Dr. Emily Messer on her tenure and future goals. 

Announcements:

• Muckleroy & Falls: Forms leadership partnership of Matthew McDonald, Clint Moyes and President Taylor Hale.

• TCU Basketball: Retires No. 1 jersey of Desmond Bane, a guard who helped lead the 2018 Horned Frogs to their first NCAA Tournament in 20 years. He is a guard with Memphis in the NBA.

• TCU Football: Adds Josh Bookbinder (linebackers) and Sedrick Williams (defensive line) as assistant coaches.

• Elevate: Promotes Kerry Miles to Chief Operating Officer and adds Michael Bailey as Chief Marketing Officer. 

• Port53: Names William Parmelee Senior Vice President for services. 

• Dragonfly: Announces Anna Marie Valden as Publisher. 

• Fort Worth Cultural District Alliance: 2025 Board Chair is Moody Younger of Artisan Circle/Younger Partners. Vice Chairs are Marshall Horn of Texas Air Systems and Kim Tillman of Regions Bank. Reagan Ferguson of Pressman Printing is Secretary and Jerry Thompson of Inwood Bank is Treasurer. 

• Progyny: Names Blakley Basel VP-Employer Sales for Texas.

• KAI 360 Construction Services: Adds Sean Creque as Senior Project Manager. 

• Bank of Texas’ Private Wealth: Adds Greg Irwin SVP-Sr. Private Wealth Banker and Angie Lynch as a VP-Private Wealth Banker. 

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