Families who rely on North Texas Performing Arts for after-school classes, summer camps, and private lessons will find the nonprofit at a new address in October.

The organization plans to leave its Southlake location and move into a 10,000-square-foot facility at 1040 Mustang Drive in Grapevine.

Grapevine City Council cleared the way on Tuesday, July 21, unanimously approving Conditional Use Permit CU26-17 and Ordinance No. 2026-056 during a joint meeting with the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The permit authorizes NTPA to operate a nonprofit performing arts theater in the building, which is zoned Community Commercial and previously housed Movement Climbing Gym.

Kelly McDowell, chair of the NTPA management board for the Southlake location, submitted the application and spoke at the July 21 meeting.

"We're not simply relocating, we're investing in a long-term partnership with the city of Grapevine," McDowell said.

"Grapevine is a natural fit because it has built a reputation throughout North Texas as a destination for family entertainment, tourism, arts, culture and community events."

What the new space includes

The Grapevine facility will house two 80-seat performance theaters, a rehearsal room, a dance room, practice rooms, and office space, according to city documents. The two theaters will not operate at the same time, per the permit conditions.

NTPA plans to stage 24 to 28 productions annually at the Grapevine location, McDowell said. That schedule would serve K-12 students through after-school classes, seasonal camps, and private lessons, along with the organization's Starcatchers program, a therapeutic theater offering for children and adults with developmental, cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities.

Starcatchers uses trained "Performance Partners" who help actors learn lines, follow stage cues, and participate fully in productions.

NTPA also runs a Deaf Theatre program for performers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Background

NTPA opened its Southlake location at 1101 N. Carroll Ave. in 2021, making it the organization's fifth youth theatre troupe and its first in Tarrant County.

McDowell said the nonprofit has served northeast Tarrant County families for more than three years and is seeking a permanent home with the Grapevine move.

Across all locations, NTPA generates roughly 11,000 student enrollments per year and stages more than 200 major productions and 1,400 performances on over a dozen stages across North Texas.

The organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in the Plano Children's Theatre founded in 1991, has been led since 2015 by CEO Darrell Rodenbaugh, who serves full-time on a pro-bono basis.

Move timeline

NTPA expects to complete the relocation from Southlake to 1040 Mustang Drive in Grapevine in October. No specific day has been announced. The property sits near State Highway 114 in Grapevine's Community Commercial District.