[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6313318,"mediaKeyId","2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b","parentId",2388310,"title","Keller staff reports new businesses, development activity and restaurant-week timeline","audioSeconds",507,"startMs",6314000,"endMs",6821000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b&start=6314&end=6821","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b/thumbnail_6314000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6313318/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Keller-staff-reports-new-businesses-development-activity-and-restaurant-week-timeline","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313318-f0146e9b0243556af1bb6a72cba7652b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776585688&Signature=kHI3YdIuCG3bH3YBjjyckLRJD1cJlHJA3La1jkme7bMQYXKptANI-4ddSEB-gkjdpkjR10YoIhNR-Vo-G3YB8a32WjUMIhLWSSFzKz3ikyEFaRv8EsfEgKGl2-Vetd2Ajk4G3fRqlBobg0Z5q5WEsbzwhTwHDrBR-x-c1e-MTiR11tYjPEgdz50ugcHO2g13n~vVGiv2f9r~axUI-yfXBzaRW~BJHjVU78GywQQAxY8Z7mckaNM54oJc-kWmYVzM3onVxS9peOy4E4j3QDrWhAqzkcBSrsAXQ890UgnoIhq2g9uM45uxZDKK3bHaCBubGi0XLc4jafXthEcDuWFsTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keller TX","date","2025-02-25T21:23:45.15Z","article","City economic development staff reported operational updates at the Keller Economic Development Board meeting, including new business openings, permitting activity, incentivized projects, site interest from brokers and a schedule for a city restaurant week promotion.

Staff listed five businesses that opened in January: Grizzly Brothers Gutters; Typewriter Justice; Redemptive Sports; Pediatric Eye Specialists; and WellMed (which is now operational in the former El Paseo building). Staff also reported 13 certificates of occupancy issued year to date and a building permit under review for a long‑tracked user named HTO. Lone Star Cafe has received a certificate of occupancy and Penguin Patch received a temporary certificate of occupancy for its warehouse portion; Houghton Horns, the incentivized performance hall, is open and preparing a concert season.

The City Sports Campus (site plan) was approved at city council and is advancing in the Sports Park as an incentivized project. Staff said restaurant‑week planning is underway: meetings with restaurateurs continue and the city plans to run Restaurant Week the last week of July into the first days of August (July 28–August 3), with outreach to restaurants beginning April 1 and public promotion starting May 1.

Economic development staff also described outreach at ICSC Red River in January, where brokers expressed interest in several redevelopment sites including the Big Lots lease opportunity, the GEDS site and the Petco site. Staff reported the Big Lots lease situation is tied to liquidation and third‑party lease transactions; multiple family entertainment users have expressed interest. Staff said they will follow up with brokers about Town Center Lane and other sites.

Staff noted ongoing marketing (Keller Foodie features on Fridays) and a restaurant/retail survey that remains open; as of the meeting staff reported roughly 683 responses and planned to present results at the next board meeting. Staff also noted that staff member Melanie completed a basic economic development course in Waco.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Keller Economic Development Board Meeting - February 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff provided an economic update: five businesses opened in January, several incentivized projects are moving forward, a sports campus site plan was approved, and staff outlined a restaurant-week timeline for late July into early August.","taxTitle","Keller, Tarrant County, Texas","taxId",54069,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6313323,"Keller board begins rewrite of economic development strategic business plan to drive self-directed initiatives",514,5794000,6308000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b&start=5794&end=6308","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b/thumbnail_5794000.jpg","/articles/6313323/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Keller-board-begins-rewrite-of-economic-development-strategic-business-plan-to-drive-self-directed-initiatives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313323-38ba7bd2fc30c0b316d444b397d56e18/orig.mp4?Expires=1776585688&Signature=WCN6O4kMKjeZavVCIAOBZsSpB~XZh9kNB3ITxD5rVeT5-fMVHJpYwT8I5uy-4nsdCjFpKLF3Oo2pi7LENPd4Qz-qjvORGCFbBpQwNgx4ulGazHSOtLEi3a1s6tOiM4ANp8dDa~FoYrDONn2iN8-ygIBNlxhEI01~P9KiEugUGSXIZmmBekDYfSeqwtbLK~8K0MD8uJGzBD8-FfSmSeX1hqvLQS7YI1o6kJubeaCxq7nbIzE54oAt3YJuz6n1FjzMuYocl1Fg771Oxplmo8d7L66N47utcHM042A693hCLjDrKMlNyz5KHRR1~FezKVnM6fxG0dKgvc1arr3381wfZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board leadership opened a work-session discussion on updating Keller’s economic development strategic business plan, urging the board to create a self-directed agenda that can bring proposals to city council and shape the city’s long-term economic direction.

The chair said the goal is to recast the plan so the board becomes “self directed and self led” and can present creative proposals to city council that support local economic growth while preserving Keller’s small-town character. The chair framed the effort as a 25-year outlook and asked board members to study comparable cities and return with ideas for attraction, daytime population growth, and unique retail and dining assets.

Staff and board members discussed a proposed process: combine the feedback already received with the chair’s notes, circulate a draft to the board, and schedule a work session or series of sessions to rewrite sections. The chair asked members to be prepared to divide the plan into sections for review at future meetings.

The chair described the rationale for strengthening economic development planning: Keller’s municipal revenue relies heavily on property taxes, and sales tax growth is one of the few levers to diversify local revenue. The discussion noted Keller’s strengths—proximity to the DFW Airport and local traffic corridors—and constraints such as limited water features or freeway access that shape the city’s recruitment strategy.

No formal votes were taken; the board directed staff to circulate notes and to schedule follow-up sessions to develop and finalize the updated strategic plan.","Board members discussed recasting the Keller Economic Development strategic plan to make the board more self-directed and to outline a long-term economic strategy that increases sales tax revenue and daytime population while preserving community character.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6313327,"Keller EDB approves Chapter 380 development incentive for Keller House Collective at 207 South Elm Street",52,5716000,5768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b&start=5716&end=5768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b/thumbnail_5716000.jpg","/articles/6313327/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Keller-EDB-approves-Chapter-380-development-incentive-for-Keller-House-Collective-at-207-South-Elm-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313327-1227562fc7c650d806830eaf7f716830/orig.mp4?Expires=1776585688&Signature=gpCUMnWQgowarE5AwOwl4YEv2jiSxV4eZvHpKtUP-E7DDYN6nfUYSrXnFG3oGKz45zg4di4IdYN1edLcQCXNxJyYIo6nBodwx2g5ioxasGIv0yG9c1Sel9DztbMdOcaem-rMcqymvcCd3hLUPOzpfH~wkYHOE~vVRY5E62W2k45H03nov48hUlDY6Sp1FhMiUtwq1N9uf0i25xU6~Skss0v2weVxTifiSpVtNWZ9IiHvRJnxsABScRpG15PViEuvDR0tJnpXKJ1kqiNK3EKUkcMtRqVOQEpBa0H8YfxOjIbb9UOJNGy7yiFm7kekYxFr-dcMMIFk60-i9u1qWpUTZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a regular meeting, the Keller Economic Development Board approved a Chapter 380 development incentive request for Keller House Collective Inc., for property at 207 South Elm Street, and will recommend the item to the city council.

The board considered \"a Chapter 380 development incentive request for Keller House Collective Inc. at 207 South Elm Street.\" A board member moved to approve \"as is\" and the motion was seconded; the chair called for the vote and members present responded in the affirmative. One attendee stated they did not vote because they serve in an ex officio capacity.

Board members did not provide additional specific terms of the incentive during the public discussion recorded in the transcript. Staff said the item will be recommended to city council at its next meeting on March 4. The meeting record did not include a detailed breakdown of the incentive amount, duration, or performance conditions.

Because the transcript records the motion and the board's approval but does not list individual member votes or the financial terms, the article reports the formal board action and the procedural next step: recommendation to council on March 4.","The Economic Development Board approved a Chapter 380 incentive request for Keller House Collective Inc., intended to be recommended to city council on March 4. The vote passed at the board level; details of the incentive and council review were not specified in the meeting record.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6313330,"BlueDot outlines Open Rewards program for Keller to boost local spending",2234,197000,2431000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b&start=197&end=2431","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2388310-4d4d7b0f39afe78be601fb0e86adb20b/thumbnail_197000.jpg","/articles/6313330/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/BlueDot-outlines-Open-Rewards-program-for-Keller-to-boost-local-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313330-97b8aea5d29e2ab528204c61826601e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776585688&Signature=VW2gezPNW9XDuJPdB~GIEdPIV07tFuqn3o5Jq5lYUW9jWf3SL2EsCacWbEwYEh6E6x7~WxJmxdZOzaoA0myRNN1-pq45Mt8ejGQ0lkolte3WRDBrsOn3zM9Ul7qzKcs54C8MwBGA-UPGihPID~iColJQe5cbHnOp5g3XDwwN4j4gjHzgehrdJEsODmzfHgXtA5r1s0o-EvVcHUd7RhCy6hjsbwJK3d64fHIK8Y0SRXeAxcb7PJWopZ6ZUWVuFH8mhOxclTktqu4bG-igOdBkwJ0Du0gpYv98qCe6v8CS0WTmyQ9xEVgghcRnFlu0h1pA97U2jPP3f3x52HZHKqhZbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BlueDot representative Sofia Zane presented the company’s Open Rewards program at a Keller Economic Development Board meeting, describing an app that lets cities fund short-term, city-specific consumer incentives and track usage by business and user.

The program is designed so consumers create a free account in the Open Rewards app, earn rewards by linking a credit card or uploading receipts, and then redeem rewards either as an immediate payout (Venmo, PayPal, Zelle or mailed check) or as a local redemption depending on the city’s settings. “Open rewards in a nutshell is a citywide rewards program to incentivize your local shoppers to spend money at their local businesses,” Sofia Zane said.

Board members and staff discussed how participating businesses are defined, how funds are deposited and managed, and controls such as per-user caps and program time frames. Board members asked whether the program can use a points system rather than direct dollar values and whether businesses must do any operational work to participate. Zane said points are possible but may require development time; she said most participating businesses do not need to sign up or change operations to benefit, and that sponsors (the city or other local sponsor committees) fund the rewards pool.

On funding and mechanics, the presentation said each participating city deposits a budget into BlueDot’s account; BlueDot then disburses payouts to users as they request them. Zane described options for redemption and the app’s discovery and business-profile features. She said cities can set reward percentages and runtime parameters (for example, 10%, 15% or 25% promotions) and can cap rewards per purchase or per user and set expirations. “For the regular businesses, most of the time, our businesses actually don't have to do anything for the program,” Zane said.

Board members raised operational questions: whether wallets across different cities can be combined (the app maintains a separate wallet per community but cities can choose whether to allow cross-community usage), how the dashboard reports metrics such as number of users, visits and estimated economic impact, and whether the CRM portion of BlueDot can populate the city’s business database and plug into the city website. Zane said the CRM and rewards are separate investments but that the CRM is purpose-built for economic developers and can be integrated with city web assets.

Staff also asked about cost. Zane and staff said the CRM has a monthly fee (staff quoted prior pricing at about $395 per month for a database under 1,000 businesses) and the Open Rewards activation price is charged for the time the city runs the program; staff estimated a two-month run would be under $800 for the platform fee plus the reward budget.

The board did not take a formal vote on implementing Open Rewards at the meeting; members asked staff to return with cost options and launch timing if the board wishes to proceed.

Keller staff said the presentation materials and the app are available for board members to review and that staff will circulate additional pricing and integration details to the board before a decision is scheduled.","A BlueDot representative described Open Rewards, a citywide app-based incentive program that would let the City of Keller fund short-term promotions directing consumer spending to participating local businesses. Board members asked about funding, redemption, caps and technical details.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Keller staff reports new businesses, development activity and restaurant-week timeline

Keller board begins rewrite of economic development strategic business plan to drive self-directed initiatives

Keller EDB approves Chapter 380 development incentive for Keller House Collective at 207 South Elm Street

BlueDot outlines Open Rewards program for Keller to boost local spending