When Grapevine's elected leaders set out to build something special at the South end of Main Street, they had most of the components lined up: a parcel of land to shape as needed, voter-approved passenger rail access, and a vision for the final piece of the puzzle. For decades, they had dreamed about a downtown hotel. Now, they finally got to search for a partner who could build something to match their vision... while conforming to a few intense code requirements.

This is Part Three of our miniseries on the City's iconic new Public-Private Partnership:

00:00-02:02... "Highest and Best Use"
02:03-04:12... meet Coury Hospitality
04:13-06:52... launching in the middle of an economic shutdown
06:53-09:52... what set(s) Hotel Vin apart
09:53-12:05... a second opinion, from City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell
12:06-16:30... does placemaking via little details sound familiar?
16:31-18:39... how Coury Hospitality continuously evolves their events and activations
18:40-23:16... the "partnership" element in this Public-Private Partnership
23:17-26:09... nitty gritty details that lead to mistaken identities 
26:10-27:59... bragging rights, expansions, and more wild success stories
28:00-32:18... a fond farewell to our special look at Main Street

For all the thought and effort that went into creating a one-of-a-kind development at Grapevine Main, only one component is the undeniable catalyst behind the entire project: passenger rail. Without the TEXRail commuter line operated by Trinity Metro, this defining piece of architecture wouldn't be nearly as functional. It might not even exist. But City leaders planned to be a stop along the route from Fort Worth the DFW International Airport for decades... and even chipped in a little extra to make it happen.

This is Part Two of our miniseries on the City's iconic new Public-Private Partnership:

00:00-02:22... building for the future
02:23-05:00... putting a once-in-a-lifetime project on rails
05:01-07:13... the Trinity Metro board weighs in on the importance of Grapevine
07:14-09:56... what impact does public transportation really have on development?
09:57-12:18... historic precedent for the transformative power of trains
12:19-14:40... Grapevine City Council's research and visioning process
14:41-17:45... the next stop: a groundbreaking partnership with North Richland Hills
17:46-21:09... running the numbers on funding, ridership, and a healthy transportation system
21:10-23:43... five years and a pandemic later, the project earns its first new neighbor
23:44-26:14... how the City's initial investment made new development easy math
26:15-29:57... what comes next, for TEXRail and the podcast

For over a century, Grapevine Main Street has been synonymous with small-town charm. The very mention of our authentic historic district conjures images of brick buildings, festival crowds, and a single broad street surrounded by humble structures. Now, visitors are more likely to have a different view in mind: the combination rail station, hotel, and public gathering space known as Grapevine Main.

This is Part One of our miniseries on the City's iconic new Public-Private Partnership:

00:00-03:35... what Places mean to us
03:36...06:35... from ugly lot to landmark status
06:36-08:34... drawing the line between Public and Private
08:35-09:56... casting vision for a once-in-a-lifetime project
09:57-11:39... why do we build new things that look old?
11:40-14:05... how a built environment can shape your subconscious
14:06-16:07... drawing boundaries and shaping design standards
16:08-19:47... transitioning from old to new with the Transit District Overlay
19:48-22:59... little details you felt at Grapevine Main, even if you barely noticed them
23:00-25:42... a vision comes to life, thanks to two important partnerships

How close did the City come to losing its most iconic neighborhood? Grapevine Residents have heard the stories: an unwatched candle, a timely partnership, and a crisis narrowly averted. Today, we're looking at the legend of a fire that could have destroyed the Historic District... but ended in a single puddle instead. 

Here's how the investigation unfolds:

00:00-01:49... the legend as we know it
01:50-04:49... meet the Grapevine Fire Department, our expert witnesses
04:50-10:30... how codes and experience help prevent fires
10:31-12:53... why Historic District buildings aren't up to modern code
12:54-14:10... the fire suppression mandate
14:11-17:35... how City officials enabled even the smallest businesses
17:36-20:15...a crash course in fire science
20:16-21:51... the criminal profile of a fire: motive, means, and opportunity
21:52-25:13... how bad could this fire have really gotten?
25:14-27:49... sprinkler dynamics and the crisis we averted.
27:50-31:58... concluding the investigation

Visitor spending fuels Grapevine's economy, especially in the Historic District. The reliable stream of customers drawn to the area by its authentic charm and special events is a key factor in Small Business success. And it's easy to see why: festival days and seasonal activations accounted for every one of the Top 20 busiest days in this strategic neighborhood last year... but most vendors in the area have learned not to depend on those surges for long-term success. Let's talk about what they do instead.

Here's what we're serving up:

00:00-04:43... welcome to GrapeFest
04:44-08:39... the core elements in every successful business
08:40-10:25... inside Giddens Art Gallery on festival day
10:26-14:05... Hip Pop's double-storefront approach
14:06-16:15... the electromagnetic theory of customer retention
15:16-18:05... an indie bookstore's unrelenting commitment to community engagement
18:06-20:06... what happens to an auto shop when the streets are closed?
20:07-22.40... doing business the old-fashioned way 
22:41-24:51... why volunteering is good for any Grapevine business, regardless of location
24:52-27:16... the invisible, essential benefit of community events
27:17-28:52... the party doesn't stop when the festival ends

Destination dining is a key part of the business environment on Main Street. Without gathering spaces and innovative menus to draw visitors in, the Historic District would struggle to generate and hold the crowds it needs to thrive. Most local establishments have been here for some time, supporting and benefiting from the neighborhood's unique culture. But no two are alike, and to prove it, we're talking to a pair of wildly different (and wildly successful) business owners: Steve Brown and Dan Weinberger.

Here's what we're serving up:

00:00-04:55... dining demand in the Historic District
04:56-08:43... the man behind DFW's favorite deli
08:44-10:15... how Weinberger's almost landed in Southlake
10:16-13:11... the full-service restaurant no one expected to find
13:12-15:15... extreme makeover: Funeral Home edition
15:16-17:00... the Margarita Capital of Texas
17:01-18:04... why conference attendees need to get away
18:05-19:38... how Esparza's leads with relationships
19:39-21:40... Weinberger's, designed with speed in mind
21:41-25:38... what separates Main Street dining from other restaurant clusters?
25:39-28:30... decades of success (and one idea that didn't make the cut)

Balancing preservation with progress can be tough when the oldest part of a City is also one of its hottest real estate markets. But the Farmer's Market of Grapevine shows how consumers can shape an area as effectively as ordinances and private equity.

What's on the menu today:

00:00-04:48... how residents turned a 7-11 into fresh food
04:49-08:23... the Farmer's Market value proposition
08:24-10:29... from pop-up to Main Street Staple
10:30-12:59... risking it all on brick and mortar
13:00-16:05... the state of historic real estate in Grapevine
16:06-19:00... protecting the spirit of the City's original marketplace
19:01-19:54... the benefits of backfilling
19:55-22:09... much more than fruits and vegetables
22:10-22:52... how this story sums up Grapevine

You've met the "elves" who decorate Main Street (Season 1, Episode 1)... now meet their supervisors. From planning events that draw massive crowds to the importance of every little detail, here's what makes Main Street so magical during the 40-day Christmas Capital of Texas activation.

What's on the agenda:

00:00-02:28... who's in charge here?
02:29-05:25... the party (planning) never ends
05:26-8:12... "aiming for Disney" revisited
8:13-10:34... getting the little things right
10:35-13:00... the "Leslie Knope" mentality
13:01-21:18... the data driving this year's revised festivities
21:19-25:03... how events and activations affect business owners
25:04-28:06... deck the halls with cute nostalgia
28:07-30:01... nowhere to go but up

Every day, you interact with countless miles of unseen pipes, wires, and utilities that create the illusion of effortless convenience. But behind every charged phone, running sink, and Wi Fi router, there's a team of engineers working to keep your life going smoothly. Here in Grapevine, those folks have an extra layer of challenge: part of the City is over 100 years old. And much of it predates modern computers.

Here's the roadmap for our exploration of the unseen systems that support our community...


00:00-03:35... meet our experts
03:36-06:20... what does "civil engineering" actually mean?
06:21-10:29... unique utilities, hand-drawn plans, and other historical hiccups
10:30-14:21... modern solutions to age-old questions
14:22-19:24... water, water everywhere
19:25-23:28... weathering winter storm Uri
23:29-28:20... making the most of a global shutdown
28:21-29:59... outtro and a Bonus Fun Fact

Understanding the Historic District starts with understanding local history, so we asked Larry Groebe – Communications Director for the Grapevine Historical Society – to walk us through the early decades of this community. As he breaks down the decades that defined Grape Vine (and, later, Grapevine), we'll discover which things have changed, which almost weren't preserved, and which have been part of Grapevine's DNA from the beginning.

More importantly, we'll hear why the City still feels authentic after 180 years of change. 

00:00-02:41... a quick tour of the Historic District.
02:42-04:17... the history that almost wasn't.
04:18-06:23... meet our resident expert.
06:24-09:28... a Destination, even in the 1920s.
09:29-12:59... Main Street through the decades.
13:00-15:23... the very first businesses.
15:24-18:32... early innovators - Wilhoite's Garage.
18:33-24:32... history uncovered - Bermuda Gold & Silver.
24:33-27:57... the people who saved our City('s history).