Royse City, Texas  ·  Community News  ·  Q1 2026

Downtown growth, new businesses, zoning changes & more — your complete Q1 2026 update

January – March 2026City Council & CDC ReportsRoyse City, Texas

Royse City is moving fast. From new storefronts taking shape on Main Street to major city council decisions reshaping land use and development, the first quarter of 2026 has been one of the most active periods in recent memory for this growing Rockwall County city.

This roundup pulls together the key decisions, property updates, business news, and community projects from the Royse City Community Development Corporation (CDC) Board meetings in January, February, and March 2026 — as well as City Council actions and Planning & Zoning decisions from the same period.

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Economic Development

Downtown Property Acquisitions Moving Forward

Three key properties along Main Street have been in active negotiation and acquisition by the CDC — and all three saw meaningful progress this quarter.

Property Status Summary — March 2026

• 114 E. Main St.— Feasibility period extended 30 days in February to complete inspections and align the negotiated price with the appraisal. As of January, the property was under contract with inspections complete and an appraisal underway.
• 129 E. Main St.— Closed as planned. Minor interior repairs were completed by city facilities staff so the space could be used for meetings. Public works replaced the sewer line connection. Architects are now scheduled to draft interior renovation plans.
• 201 W. Main St. (201 W. Hwy 66)— Property owners accepted the CDC’s purchase offer in February, with both sides reviewing final contract documents.

The CDC’s deliberate approach to these acquisitions — coupling market-rate negotiations with historical preservation guidance from the Texas Historical Commission — reflects its commitment to thoughtful, sustainable downtown revitalization.

In March, the CDC board also entered executive session to discuss potential real property in the vicinity of S. Arch St. and W. Main St., suggesting continued interest in expanding the city’s downtown footprint.

New Business

New Businesses Eyed for Downtown Royse City

The January CDC meeting brought two exciting business introductions that have the potential to add significant vitality to Royse City’s downtown district.

“A future home for coffee, pastries, and community — Latham’s Bakery is already building its Royse City team.”

Latham’s Bakery, owned by Malinda Latham, was introduced to the board as a prospective tenant for 114 E. Main St. The bakery already has established locations in Forney, Canton, and Garland, offering coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and more. Remarkably, a management team is already in place for the potential 65-seat Royse City location — a strong signal of the owner’s commitment to the project.

Meanwhile, a grant request was presented by Adam Mitchell for a beautification project at 206 I-30. The proposal involves demolishing a deteriorating building and train car to improve the corridor’s appearance and marketability, with a potential Papa Gino’s restaurant as a future user of the cleared site. Mitchell requested the CDC split the cost of the lowest demolition bid of $22,500 — a $11,250 contribution from the city’s economic development fund.

Incubator Program

Wells Burgers Express: A CDC Incubator Success Story

One of the highlights of the February CDC meeting was a presentation from Lee Wells, whose business — Wells Burgers Express — is a product of the CDC’s Incubator Program. Mr. Wells spoke to the board about the program’s success, highlighting the cooperation with the city and expressing appreciation for the partnership with the RC CDC Board.

The program had already been reviewed internally in January, with Director of Operations Richard Pense providing a post-mortem covering the program’s timeline, key lessons learned, and budget performance. The January meeting set the stage for Wells’ public presentation the following month — and by all accounts, the incubator has delivered on its mission of nurturing local entrepreneurship.

The CDC’s Incubator Program represents a model that other Texas municipalities are watching closely, as small business support becomes a central tool in competitive economic development strategies.

Project Update

Sweet Frog Project: Progress — and a Deadline

The Sweet Frog commercial project has been a recurring agenda item, and January through February showed the project advancing — but not without challenges.

In January, yogurt machines arrived ahead of schedule, and architects were finalizing revisions to obtain necessary permits, with construction expected to begin soon. The targeted completion date was March 15, 2026.

By February, however, the State Architect had provided suggestions for exterior façade improvements — and the board decided to pause on those improvements to explore a potential façade grant instead of paying out of pocket. The property owner had exchanged plan revisions with the city, but further changes were still required before a full permit could be issued. With the March 15 deadline looming and no visible interior progress noted at the February meeting, this project will continue to be one to watch.

Legal Action

Anvil Brewing Delinquency: CDC Moves to Enforce Contract

One of the more consequential decisions of the quarter came at the January CDC meeting, when the board addressed ongoing delinquencies by Anvil Brewing.

After consulting with City Attorney Jason Day in executive session, the board voted unanimously — seven for, zero opposed — to authorize the city attorney to engage outside counsel on behalf of the CDC to enforce all contractual obligations against Anvil Brewing.

The issue remained unresolved at the February meeting, where no action was taken following another executive session. By March, the matter had evolved into a discussion about “Anvil delinquency and Performance Agreement enforcement,” suggesting the CDC was escalating its legal strategy.

Anvil Brewing — Timeline of Delinquency Proceedings

• January 20, 2026— Board authorizes outside legal counsel to enforce CDC’s contract with Anvil Brewing. Vote: 7–0.
• February 17, 2026— Executive session held; no action taken in open session.
• March 24, 2026— Matter listed as “delinquency and Performance Agreement enforcement” in executive session; open session action pending.

Community Events

Royse City Farmers Market Returns in April 2026

Great news for local food lovers and community connectors: the Royse City Farmers Market is scheduled to kick off on April 11, 2026, and will run through September 12, 2026.

The market will operate on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM — totaling 11 market days. Planning details were shared at the February CDC meeting by Main Street Director Paula Morris.

The Farmers Market is a cornerstone of Main Street Royse City’s programming and a key driver of foot traffic to the downtown district — especially as new businesses prepare to open in the acquired properties along Main Street.

Also on the Main Street front: the Texas Historical Commission has been actively providing design guidance for downtown projects and was scheduled to conduct an accreditation visit in the week following the February CDC meeting — a milestone for Royse City’s Main Street program.

City Council

City Council Approves Major Zoning Changes & New Development

The March 10, 2026 City Council meeting — chaired by Mayor Janet Nichol, with all seven council members present — produced two unanimous 7–0 votes on significant land use changes.

March 10, 2026

Zoning Land Use Table amended — Ordinance No. 26-03-1772 passed unanimously, amending Chapter 14A, Article 3-1(A) of the Royse City Zoning Ordinance. The change updates the city’s land use framework to reflect current development goals.

March 10, 2026

Specific Use Permit approved for new school — Ordinance No. 26-03-1773 passed unanimously, approving a Specific Use Permit for a proposed School, College or University in the James McBride Survey and William H. Kuykendall Survey areas. This follows the Planning & Zoning Commission’s earlier recommendation to approve the same permit.

March 24, 2026

Ridge Park Estates Phase II approved — The council voted to adopt an ordinance approving a Final Plat for Ridge Park Estates, Phase II — nearly 50 acres in Hunt County — continuing the city’s residential expansion.

March 24, 2026

New outdoor sanitation ordinance — The council acted to amend the city code to add outdoor storage area sanitation rules and empower the City Attorney to file civil suits for municipal health and safety ordinance violations.

March 30, 2026

Joint meeting with RCISD — A special joint meeting between City Council and the Royse City ISD School Board was held at the RCISD Event Center, covering district updates, infrastructure, and development coordination.

City Manager Carl Alsabrook also provided updates at the March 10 meeting noting that the Collin College project is underway, the City Hall project is progressing, and the Anderson Crossing agreement is nearing completion. Council Member Holder requested a future update on railroad condition and repairs.

Finance & Technology

CDC Renews Placer AI Contract; Financial Report Highlights

At the February CDC meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve a revised annual subscription contract with Placer AI, a location analytics platform used to track retail foot traffic patterns. The tool helps the CDC make data-driven decisions about where to direct economic development investments in Royse City.

On the financial front, the monthly reports painted a mixed but generally healthy picture:

CDC Sales Tax Deposits — Q1 2026

• January report(from Nov. 2025 sales) — Increased by $8,543 over the prior year period, with a rolling 12-month average growth rate of5% per year.
• February report(from Dec. 2025 sales) — Decreased by $15,541 compared to December 2024, with a rolling 12-month average of2.2% growth per year.

The month-to-month fluctuation is normal for retail-dependent sales tax revenue, particularly around the holiday season. The underlying 12-month trend remains positive, reflecting Royse City’s continued commercial growth.

Leadership

CDC Board Officers Reappointed for 2026

At the January 20, 2026 meeting, the Royse City CDC Board of Directors held its annual officer elections. All votes were unanimous — 7 for, 0 opposed — confirming the following leadership team for the year ahead:

2026 CDC Board Leadership

• President— Craig Lawrence Sr.
• Vice President— Blair Johnson
• Secretary / Treasurer— Kari Hollifield

New board members Tim Folden and Kari Hollifield were sworn in at the same meeting, with President Lawrence leading them through the Oath of Office as provided by the Texas Secretary of State.

Stay Connected with Royse City

City Council and CDC meetings are open to the public and held at City Hall and Courts Building, 100 W. Main Street, Royse City, Texas.

City Secretary(972) 524-4825

Fax(972) 635-2434

Location100 W. Main Street
Royse City, TX 75189

Content sourced from official Royse City CDC and City Council meeting agendas and minutes, January–March 2026.