McKinney just found out what's happening to the former Globe Life headquarters, and it's a big one. Craig International has won the bid to redevelop the nearly 58-acre campus at 3700 S. Stonebridge Drive, right along the McKinney-Frisco line, into a mixed-use project called Rowlett Station, named for Rowlett Creek, which runs along the property's edge (see MacTown History for more).

Globe Life moved its corporate headquarters to a smaller, roughly 200,000-square-foot building about four miles away on Henneman Way last year, leaving behind some 300,789 square feet of office space for Craig International to reimagine. Early plans call for a phased redevelopment mixing apartments, office, and retail, with outdoor amenities woven throughout the site.

Part of that vision includes a hike-and-bike trail network designed to connect Stonebridge Drive to Eldorado Parkway. That trail would link up with the shopping center that's home to Trader Joe's and Crunch Fitness, giving residents a walkable (or bikeable) route between a future Rowlett Station and existing retail.

Craig International isn't new to big swings in this city. It's also the master developer behind the $6 billion Craig Ranch and the $6 billion Preston Harbor community out at Lake Texoma, so this firm clearly thinks in decades, not quarters. No construction timeline has been set yet, but a redevelopment this size, with its own trail network and creek frontage, is the kind of project that'll shape how that whole corridor feels for years to come. I'll keep tracking this one as plans get more specific.

A new 137-room AC Hotel is on track for a mid-October opening, a five-story, roughly 71,500-square-foot build that'll also house Good & Proper Wood Fired Bistro on its fifth floor, bring a new, design-led place to South McKinney.
Opening mid-October 2026 | South McKinney

Hugs Cafe's downtown McKinney location at 224 E. Virginia St closed on May 30 as the nonprofit cafe, which trains adults with disabilities for restaurant careers, gets ready to open its new Hugs Headquarters in East McKinney. Grand opening is planned for July 2. Opening July 2, 2026 | East McKinney

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The McKinney Community Development Corporation is taking applications for its Project Grants program through 5pm on Tuesday, June 30. If you've got an idea that could boost economic development somewhere in McKinney, the application lives at McKinneyCDC.org/Grants. (Source: City of McKinney Newsflash, June 11)

🐉 Squishy Dragons Family Painting
Bring the kids for a guided painting session where everyone walks out with their own squishy dragon masterpiece. No talent required, just enthusiasm and maybe a smock.
Painting with a Twist McKinney, 3201 South Hardin Blvd Ste 204, 1-3PM ($29, ages 6+)

🎲 Game Night in McKinney
Unplugged Commons brings board games, card games, and a room full of people who'd rather connect over Catan than scroll their phones. Drop in solo or bring a crew.
The Pub McKinney, 204 W Virginia St, 6-9PM ($5)

🧀 Gouda Cheese-Making Class
Head out to the Collin County Farm Museum for a hands-on evening turning milk into your own wheel of gouda. Equal parts science class and snack prep.
Myers Park Farm Museum, 7117 County Road 166, 2-7PM (Fee applies)

🎵📺 McKinney - Video Music Bingo
Bingo cards meet music trivia at this British pub favorite. Know your one-hit wonders from your deep cuts? Prove it.
Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy APT 1600, 7-9PM (Free)

🎶 James Williams Live
An intimate Tuesday night set inside the historic Masonic building. Good acoustics, good company, good way to start the week off right.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM

🎭 The Yes, And... Improv Jam
No experience needed, just show up and play. The Comedy Arena's weekly improv jam is all games, scenes, and laughs, with newcomers and veterans sharing the stage. Pay what you can, leave with new friends.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St, 7-9PM ($5-$15)

🀄 Mahjong 102: Advance Your Game
Already past the basics? This small-group session at Lone Star Winery sharpens your Charleston and pivoting strategy while you sip something good. Tile by tile, you'll level up.
Lone Star Winery, 103 E Virginia St, 6-8:30PM ($71.21)

🎶 Colin Boyd Live at Harvest
Another Harvest at The Masonic evening, this time with Colin Boyd on the mic. Grab a table early, this room fills up fast for midweek shows.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM

🎸 Hudsy Live at the Lion & Crown
Live music, good vibes, good friends, that's the whole pitch from the Lion & Crown for this one. Hudsy takes the stage to close out your Wednesday.
Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy APT 1600, 7PM-late

🤝 TEAM Networking McKinney Chapter
Early-bird business networking in the Bevel House at Chestnut Square, no pressure, no sales pitches, just McKinney small-business folks getting to know each other over coffee.
Chestnut Square Bevel House, 405 S Chestnut St, 8-9AM (Free)

🚶 Stroller Strides
A parent-and-baby fitness class that gets you moving without leaving the little one behind. Strollers welcome, judgment not.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd, 9:30-10:30AM (Free)

📚 Guiding Growth: Supporting Children (Adults)
A library program for parents and caregivers looking for practical tools to support kids through tricky stages. Come with questions, leave with a plan.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 7-8PM (Free)

🎶 Vic Duncan Live
Harvest at The Masonic wraps the week with Vic Duncan on stage. Three nights of live music down, this is the one to end the week on.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM

🎶 McKinney - Aidan Berlioz - Live Music!
Aidan Berlioz closes out the Lion & Crown's week with a Thursday night set. Good excuse to start the weekend a day early.
Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy APT 1600, 7-9PM

If you read this week's Main News Story, you might be wondering where "Rowlett Station" got its name. The answer's been running through McKinney this whole time: Rowlett Creek, the waterway that winds along the edge of the old Globe Life campus and through a good chunk of east McKinney.

Rowlett Creek is one of the major tributaries feeding into Lake Lavon, and it's shaped the layout of this city more than most people realize. Early settlers built near it for the same reason every town gets built near water, access to a reliable supply for farming and livestock. As McKinney grew outward from its downtown square, the creek became a natural boundary, with neighborhoods and commercial corridors developing along its banks rather than across them.

Today, Rowlett Creek runs through several of McKinney's parks and trail systems, including stretches that connect to the city's larger greenbelt network. It's easy to drive past it on Stonebridge Drive or Eldorado Parkway without giving it a second thought, but it's been quietly stitching this city together for a long time.

So when Craig International says its new development is named after the creek, that's not just a branding choice. It's a nod to the one piece of geography that's been a constant in this corner of McKinney since long before anyone was building corporate campuses on top of it.

Mon: 🌧️ Possible showers and thunderstorms, high 82°F
Tue: ☀️ Sunny, high 88°F
Wed: ☀️ Sunny, high 90°F
Thu: 🌧️ Possible showers and thunderstorms, high 90°F

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