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Burkburnett Development Corporation touts downtown investments, museum plans; Starbucks deal falls through
Summary
BDC director Travis Hagard reported multiple downtown investments supported by NRG grants, economic development projects, and progress on the Wheels of Wonder Museum collection and a mobile exhibit. Hagard said a proposed Starbucks site did not secure final corporate approval; he said the decision was not related to city water or permitting.
Travis Hagard, director of the Burkburnett Development Corporation, gave a year‑in‑review presentation outlining downtown revitalization projects, small‑business support and museum development efforts.
Hagard highlighted multiple small grants and private investments: a Stonehill construction project downtown (with a roughly $30,000 NRG grant), Doyle Tire Service improvements, work by Joseph Reichek on a downtown property, and a Red River Dart League building rehab supported through the NRG program. He described targeted assistance for Little Bulldogs Daycare—a forgivable loan for fire monitoring equipment that enabled the daycare conversion—and other business expansions supported by the BDC’s revolving loan and incentive programs.
Hagard said the long‑running effort to recruit a Starbucks to the city will not move forward after the chain’s internal approval process concluded without CFO sign‑off. "The decision had nothing to do with our water. I want to make sure people know that it had nothing to do with the city being difficult to work with," he said.
The BDC has moved forward on museum work: the board purchased the Ted Quas die‑cast car collection and created a nonprofit (Texas Diecast Car Museum dba Wheels of Wonder Museum) to operate it. Hagard said the BDC has deployed CatalogIt software and the inventory team has logged roughly 88,000 catalog entries (he said the system is about 85% complete), and staff are preparing a mobile exhibition trailer and school‑program curriculum to support outreach.
Hagard also described other development efforts—a proposed 10‑acre neighborhood design near I‑44, efforts to use a USDA revolving loan fund for equipment purchases, and grant applications (including a $50,000 T‑Mobile hometown grant for downtown restroom facilities and site improvements). He closed by thanking partner agencies and city staff and said the BDC expects continued activity in 2026.
