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Keller economic development staff reports seven April business openings; Taygen set to open in July
Summary
At its May 19 meeting, the Keller Economic Development Board received an update from staff listing seven business openings in April, a building-permit application from Stretchstone, and a July opening target for incentivized project Taygen. Staff also reviewed recruitment leads, infrastructure projects and small-business outreach.
Keller Economic Development staff told the Keller Economic Development Board on May 19 that the city recorded seven new business openings in April and that Taygen, an incentivized project, is slated to open in July.
The update, presented by Economic Development staff, listed new April openings at 8705 Davis Boulevard (two suites occupied by IT Custom Solutions Inc. and Gove Investments LLC), 8739 Davis Boulevard (Healer Health Keller), three separate suites at 2000 Whitley Road (Founded Electronics; First Post Fencing; That Guy Industrial Solutions and Repair) and 620 Lehi Drive (Century 21 Middleton). Staff said certificates of occupancy are up to 48 through April, with 23 of those recorded as businesses.
The presentation included development activity: Stretchstone has applied for a building permit at 242 Ruessna, and staff reported continued interest in several larger available properties, including the former PEDCO and the former Genie Rockets site. ‘‘Taygen is slated to open in July,’’ Economic Development staff said during the presentation.
Staff also briefed the board on recent and upcoming initiatives. Small Business Week, the office’s annual scavenger-hunt event, included 38 participating businesses and generated about $700 in local spending across participating teams, staff said. The office is collecting feedback from participating businesses via post-event surveys.
On projects and public improvements, staff said the city sports park work is moving quickly and that the city portion of the sports complex is expected in 2026, with the private City Sports Complex slated for fall 2026 but possibly earlier. Staff described the Bay Street redesign as including parallel parking, new sidewalks and landscaping extending from 1709 to Bear Creek, and said members will receive renderings. A bridge feature was noted as part of the design.
Board members raised market and siting issues during the discussion. One member noted that nearby cities they reviewed — including Carmel, Indiana; Newton, Massachusetts; Woodstock, Georgia; Lenexa, Kansas; and others — show differences in zoning flexibility, freeway access and daytime population that affect commercial recruitment. Another member said assessments of prospective sites should include both statutory minimum wages and actual market starting pay that local employers offer.
Staff reported administrative changes and outreach: intern Ethan Flanders is moving into a Planner I position with the city and the Economic Development office is recruiting to refill a longer-term intern role. Staff also listed recent recruitment contacts and noted upcoming events staff plan to attend, including an Urban Land Institute event, BizNow retail events and the Texas Economic Development Council midyear conference.
On incentives, staff said the city released the approved improvement incentive payment to the venue referenced as ‘‘the Horns’’ during the last accounts-payable run after the project met grant qualifications. Staff said the venue has begun smaller performances and expects larger concerts in the fall.
The board discussed next steps for compiling comparative demographic and commercial data from peer cities and asked staff to circulate records, renderings and contact names for counterpart city officials. The board scheduled its next meeting for June 16.
The presentation and discussion were recorded as an informational staff update; the meeting’s only formal recorded votes that evening were approval of the April 21 minutes and a motion to adjourn.
