Time to reflect! With busy times including grand openings, groundbreakings, announcement and pursuit of new initiatives and projects, and the recent, successful 2025 Forney Spring Economic Forum, times are and have been very busy in Forney and the partnership between the City of Forney and Forney Economic Development Corporation is as strong as ever. However, it is important to acknowledge and reflect on some of the accomplishments and activities over just the last 10 months:
* Re-organized (ing) Forney Economic Development operations.
* Initiated multiple partnerships including with Prairie View A&M University, Walmart, and SCORE Mentors.
* The 2025 Forney Spring Economic Forum was well attended and received, raised Forney’s visibility across the region, and attracted attendees from Forney and beyond, including Kaufman County Judge Jakie Allen, Michael Morris, Duane Dankesreiter, Toya White, Cullum Clark, Mayor Jason Roberson, MBA, Bennett See, and Andrea Coker.
* Announcement and launch of several key projects that will further secure Forney’s emergence as a key economic hub: a 70,000 sq.ft., world-class entertainment facility by EVO Entertainment, a subsidiary of Elevate Entertainment Group, increased interest from data center developers driven by Forney’s access to significant power supply, a Dallas Stars branded multipurpose facility that will expand recreational options in Forney.
* Ground was broken on The Village at Gateway, which includes H-E-B, Target, The Home Depot, EVO Entertainment and other retail space.
* The Village at Gateway has been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as Best Real Estate Deal in the “Retail and Restaurants” category and selected as the 2025 Best Retail Project of the Year by D Magazine and will include 700,000 sq.ft. of retail and hundreds of apartments.
* Approval of multiple incentives for small businesses including Seneca Village, Forney Brewing Company, Mix It Up, What’s Poppin, Brunch Room Bistro, and Stash’s.
* Responded to over 70 RFIs from the State of Texas Economic Development, Dallas Regional Chamber, and private developers combined.
* And many projects that predate this list such as a previously announced Costco Wholesale, BJ's Wholesale Club, and a Texas Health Resources 242,000 sq.ft. hospital and four-story professional office building are moving forward.
Recent activity includes include the opening of Bahama Buck's and more.
All of this is capped by increased and sustained interest in the Forney market for data center, entertainment, recreational, and other uses yet to be announced.
Many thanks to City Manager Charles Daniels and Mayor Jason Roberson for enabling and supporting these efforts.
Stay tuned for additional announcements that will further strengthen our small businesses, highlight new initiatives and projects, and raise awareness of what all Forney has to offer!