Rowlett will have its first-ever Dallas Area Rapid Transit station one year from now.
The light rail line will extend about five miles to downtown Rowlett from the Downtown Garland Station in December 2012.
“This would be the entrance for future of Rowlett," city of Rowlett engineer Dennis Abraham.
He said the station will give Rowlett opportunities to develop in the future.
“Especially in this downtown area, it would be called a transit-oriented development, and it gives the opportunities for new housing, commercial real estate and all those types of businesses to come in," Abraham said.
The project has already brought jobs to the area, Abraham said.
"Anytime a major infrastructure like this comes to town -- whichever town it is, Garland or Rowlett -- it brings, a lot of employment in terms of construction,” he said.
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Construction on the $180 million project started three years ago. The city said all the major infrastructure is in place.
In March, DART will start testing the railroad tracks for safety.
Sharon Shiell, who owns a restaurant in downtown Rowlett, said she has been waiting for the station since she purchased the building 10 years ago.
"We hope it will bring more people,” she said. “We welcome other businesses to come around us; the more the merrier. The more there are venues and attractions to go to, the more people will flock to this area."
