Mayor: State of the City is strong

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

The future looks bright for the city of Mansfield, accordingto the mayor and city manager.

Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans and City Manager Joe Smolinskitold a crowd of approximately 200 people Thursday night that the city isgrowing and progressing during the State of the City at the Dr. Jim VaszauskasCenter for the Performing Arts. A morning session was held the same day.

“If anybody asks you about the state of Mansfield, you cantell them that our city is strong,” Evans said.

The city’s population has now topped 90,000 people,Smolinski  said.

The city has:

-         70.8 percent employment rate

-         $128,856 median income

-          46percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher

-          1.9percent poverty rate

The duo also shared updates about new businesses coming totown and expansions of current businesses and facilities:

-         New City Hall on Heritage Parkway will open inearly 2027

-         Mansfield ISD will move into the current CityHall on East Broad Street. The school district is already building a publicsafety building behind City Hall.

-         Watermill Square with office and retail space isunder construction at Broad and Main streets

-         Mouser is expanding production and warehousespace

-         Klein Tools will be adding 400 new jobs

-         Sellmark is expanding

-         Mansfield Innovation Community on Heritage Parkwaywill bring offices and dining

-         Verdexium will add manufacturing

-         Fire Station No. 1 moving from Main Street toBroad and North Walnut Creek Drive

-         Water treatment plant will be expanded goingfrom ability to treat 4.5 million gallons  to 6.3 million gallons per day

-         New animal shelter will open this spring

Road construction in 2026 will include:

-         $26 million extension of Matlock Road fromHeritage Parkway to River Birch (almost to Texas 360)

-         New road will connect Newt Patterson Road toWest Broad Street

-         Eastbound Heritage Parkway lanes will beimproved from South Main to US 287

-         East Broad Street will be reconstructed fromFire Station No. 3 to Texas 360

-         State is considering extending Texas 360 toll roadfrom US 287 to Venus

Park news:

-         The Walnut Creek Linear Trail added 4 miles in2025. The city would like to add 2 miles per year.

-         Geyer Commons at East Broad and North WalnutCreek Drive will open Feb. 27 with vendors and park space.

-         Fields at Station 63 (formerly Big LeagueDreams) reopened in 2025 and has hosted 13 tournaments.

-         Hawaiian Falls will reopen in May under newmanagement of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

-         North Texas Soccer Club will play soccer at thenew Mansfield Stadium, starting July 4.

Taxes:

-         Sales tax collected in 2025 amounted to$21,667,400, compared to less than $10 million in 2015