GLENN HEIGHTS, Texas — Glenn Heights is a smaller -- but rapidly growing -- city located in Dallas and Ellis Counties.
But like many other growing suburban communities, it has a problem as it heads into 2024: People may live there, but they don’t work or shop in the city.
Glenn Heights Mayor Sonja Brown calls it a “chief concern” for the new year.
“It is meeting with major developers to bring commercial and retail businesses to the city," Brown explained on Inside Texas Politics. "Y'know, we’re only 7.22 square miles. A lot of residents have said we need more businesses here. The businesses told us get your rooftops up.”
She’s dreaming big.
Brown says she would love to attract a Super Target, or a similar-sized business, that would add millions to tax revenue -- a “definite game changer,” as she calls it.
That would allow the city to grow in other areas as well, such as community engagement.
“One of our goals is to maintain our small town charm, but with the urban amenities,” Brown told us. “Our youth and teen population is three times that of our senior population. So, with that being said, I would love to see things for our youth to do.”
And Glenn Heights has something else going for it that can help attract residents -- and they hope business -- in 2024.
It is the only city on the southern side of Dallas County that has mass transit. Brown says Glenn Heights has a wonderful relationship with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, better known as DART.
“A couple of years ago they added a line that takes residents directly to the University of North Texas Dallas campus," Brown said. "And that was huge because we often heard from residents who said you know what, I really want to go back to school, but I just don’t know how I’m going to get there. Well, we’ve solved that problem."