The Dallas-Fort Worth economy is ending 2025 in a much different manner than it began.
In a year that started with all eyes on Washington, D.C. and an incoming (and repeat) Trump Administration, North Texas carved its own path, reshaping the business landscape for years to come. Here are a few of the biggest stories of 2025:
Once a bellwether of the retail world, Plano-based JCPenney in January said that it was merging with Sparc Group to form Catalyst Brands, bringing in names such as Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica.
Longtime Dallas-based luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, which was acquired in 2024 by Saks Global, announced and then unannounced that it would close its iconic downtown department store. The move was a blow to downtown leaders and city officials in an era when the central business district is being displaced as the region’s business and cultural epicenter.
Texas became the hotbed for the data center boom this year, with dozens of companies announcing plans for these energy-sucking, AI-enabling facilities. Gasoline was thrown on an already sizzling market when OpenAi announced its Stargate initiative in February. This adds to major North Texas data center projects from players such as Meta, Google and Nvidia partners Aligned and Wistron.
After more than six years of discussions — delayed by new economic realities after the COVID-19 pandemic — DFW International Airport and American Airlines finalized a deal for a super-sized $4 billion Terminal F, the first new terminal since 2005. The upsized plans will include 31 new gates, exclusively occupied by Fort Worth-based American. The first phase should open in 2027.
Celebrity TV problem solver Phil McGraw saw his North Texas-based startup Merit Street Media crumble in 2025 and file for bankruptcy, starting a contentious, fireworks-filled and often baffling court battle with partners such as Professional Bull Riders and Trinity Broadcasting Network. It was more entertaining than the famous Dr. Phil “Cash Me Outside” episode.
Dallas-based banking giant Comerica was purchased by Ohio’s Fifth Third Bancorp in a $10.9 billion deal. Fifth Third was essentially buying its way into the Texas market, alongside branches in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas.
These are just a few of the major storylines. There is also the drama about a Dallas ranch real estate agent killed by a buffalo during a hunt in South Africa, numerous real estate deals and residential expansions, arena searches by Dallas’ NBA and NHL teams that turned into a soap opera. A Muslim-centric development near Josephine gained national notoriety from politicians railing against the project.
National economic storylines such as international import tariffs and more aggressive national immigration enforcement efforts all reshaped the North Texas economy, too.
One thing was consistent. The Dallas-Fort Worth economy kept chugging along, adding some 42,600 jobs between the beginning of the year and the end of the third quarter. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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DALLAS – North Texans will enjoy a brief break today before the next weather system arrives, bringing multiple rounds of storms. A warmup is on the way, with temperatures climbing back into the mid-80s by the weekend.
Following a few morning showers in the eastern counties, expect a warm and breezy Monday. High temperatures will climb into the low 80s under partly cloudy skies.
As an upper-level low-pressure system moves to the west, scattered storms will move into the region Tuesday afternoon. Some of these storms could become severe, with the primary threats being large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
Simultaneously, storms are expected to develop ahead of a dryline to the west. While the tornado threat remains low in this area, any storms that form could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts.
Those overnight storms should push out to the east by Wednesday morning, but don’t put the umbrella away just yet. As the main weather system moves directly over us Wednesday afternoon, we’ll likely see another round of scattered storms that could still bring with some hail. Once everything finally clears out Wednesday evening, we can look forward to some drier, much more comfortable air moving back into the area.
Thursday will be noticeably cooler, with high temperatures settling in the mid-60s. However, sunshine and a quick warmup are expected by the weekend. Temperatures will rebound into the 80s on Friday and Saturday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.
An off-duty Dallas police officer shot at a group of people allegedly trying to steal his personal vehicle on Sunday afternoon in Addison, officials said.
According to the Addison Police Department, around 2:15 p.m., the off-duty Dallas officer saw a group of people trying to steal his vehicle in a parking lot at 5000 Belt Line Road. He confronted the suspects, “and during the encounter, fired a weapon at the suspects’ vehicle.”
The suspects fled in their vehicle, Addison police said, and it is unknown if any suspects were hit by gunfire.
The investigation is ongoing.
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