Square Deal

Major $7.5 million development on tap for the heart of booming Celina

New restaurants, retail, and more, are coming to downtown Celina.

Rendering courtesy of City of Celina

The downtown square in America's fastest-growing city, Celina, is set to undergo a $7.5 million glow up, complete with new restaurants, shops, and offices, thanks to a generous private investment.

At the revitalization project's core is the city's approved deal with Celina Real Estate LLC to construct a building at 102 N. Ohio St. and redevelop the historic Mayer Building at 313 W. Pecan St. No word yet on what tenants will occupy the two downtown Celina properties.

“Downtown is the heart and soul of Celina, and maintaining its vitality as our community grows remains one of our highest priorities,” Mayor Ryan Tubbs said in a news release. “This partnership represents an important investment in the future of downtown while building on the character and sense of place that make Celina special.”

Two developments to help transform downtown Celina
At 102 N. Ohio, the developer plans to build a two-story building incorporating a historic-style façade inspired by a former gas station at the site.

The 12,400-square-foot, $6 million building will include about 7,200 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 5,200 square feet of office space.

Downtown Celina development Two-story building incorporating a historic-style façade inspired by a former gas station planned for 102 N. Ohio. Rendering courtesy of City of Celina

At 313 W. Pecan, Celina Real Estate will renovate the Mayer Building at a cost of $1.5 million. The building will contain 5,000 square feet of restaurant space.

“Together, the projects will help bring some of the last remaining underutilized buildings around the [square] back into active commercial use,” according to the release.

The project will help downtown Celina “remain economically active, welcoming, and distinctive,” Anthony Satarino, president of the Celina Economic Development Corp. says. "Adding new dining, retail, and office opportunities creates additional reasons for people to spend time [downtown] while generating economic activity that supports the broader business community.”

Downtown Celina development Celina Real Estate to renovate the Mayer Building at 313 W. Pecan.Rendering courtesy of City of Celina

$15 million project on tap for downtown Celina
The $7.5 million project isn’t the only one planned for the historic downtown district.

In July, the city reached a deal with Nack Development to develop Trackside Junction. The $15 million project will add 15,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office, event, and residential space.

“Downtown is where our story began, and it’s where we continue to invest in our future," Tubbs said during last summer's Trackside Junction announcement.

Celina becomes hotspot for developers
Celina has seen a flurry of real estate development lately, including at least three master-planned communities, according to Celina City Texas:

Ramble by Hillwood Communities, a 1,380-acre project with a projected 4,000-plus homes. The development includes commercial, retail, and multifamily components.
Serenade Texas, a development with more than 875 homes on more than 400 acres. The project includes a 16-acre lake, and more than 150 acres of open space.
Wildhorse, a 766-home development with parks and sports fields.

Drawn by its booming population, real estate developers have been flocking to Celina.

From 2024 to 2025, the Collin County suburb topped the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of the fastest-growing cities. In that one-year period, Celina’s population shot up by 24.6 percent to nearly 64,500.

celina celina growth downtown fastest growing cities development

living single

Dallas lands among 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone

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In DFW, renters can afford to live solo.

Not everyone is cut out for living with roommates, but finding an affordable place to live alone can be tricky. Luckily, Dallas-Fort Worth sits among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living by yourself, according to a new report.

Analysts at Apartments.com discovered North Texas renters spend the seventh lowest share of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent out of the 50 biggest metros in the U.S.

The study used a 30 percent "common budgeting guideline" to calculate the share of median renter household income spent on one-bedroom asking rents across the 50 largest U.S. metros, and determined renters can only afford to live alone in 24 of the 50 metros without crossing the 30 percent threshold.

The median annual income of a DFW renter household is $63,172, and the findings show the typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment comes out to $1,348 per month. The study determined single renters spend 25.6 percent of their monthly income on rent based on the budgeting suggestion.

Texas' favorable rental market also extends outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: Austin surprised as the No. 1 most affordable metro for living alone, and San Antonio appeared among the top 10.

Austin renters spend the smallest share of their income on single-bedroom apartment rent, at 23.1 percent. That's based on a median renter household income of $70,008 and a $1,348 monthly one-bedroom asking rent price.

Dwindling rent prices and the prevalence of major tech employers are also attracting new renters, and the city has an 11.6 percent apartment vacancy rate.

"The average rent in Austin has decreased year over year, and construction of new housing increased by 30 percent over the past decade," the report's author wrote. "Tax incentives in Texas draw large tech corporations, like Google and Apple, to the Austin area, which has increased average wages, added more jobs to the local economy, and attracted renters in the process."

San Antonio ranked right above DFW in sixth place nationwide with solo renters spending 25.4 percent of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent, coincidentally the same share as single renters living in Raleigh, North Carolina and Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is the income and one-bedroom rent data in San Antonio:

$51,029 – median renter household income
$1,082 – one-bedroom monthly asking rent

A separate Apartments.com survey found 39 percent of U.S. adults would never feel comfortable living with a roommate, and 16 percent of renters would rather pay more in rent to live alone than consider living with a roommate.

"Factors contributing to lower rents may include recent high levels of construction, rising vacancy rates as renter demand catches up to supply, and fewer regulations, such as flexible zoning and lower development costs compared to other parts of the country," the report said. "Living alone has become a non-negotiable for many renters, and some renters are willing to make tradeoffs to afford this lifestyle."

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Oklahoma City
No. 3 – Phoenix
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 6 – San Antonio
No. 7 – Dallas-Fort Worth
No. 8 – Denver
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Columbus, Ohio

real estate rent rent prices apartments affordability reports

Square Deal

Major $7.5 million development on tap for the heart of booming Celina

living single

Dallas lands among 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone

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