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Transit Oriented Development along TEXRail Line


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#101 Dylan

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Posted 22 April 2021 - 01:49 AM

Since Grapevine Main Plaza is finally open, I finally filmed my tour of downtown Grapevine two Sundays ago. I'd been wanting to do so for a long time.

 

Unfortunately, my employer is exhausting me by having me work six days a week, so I haven't started editing my video tour yet.

 

Perhaps I will go back and record footage from the observation tower when it opens.

 

---------------

 

In regards to the plaza- it's nice, but it could use some umbrellas / shade for people to escape from the hot sun.


-Dylan


#102 txbornviking

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 12:00 PM

with conversation of development around the Iron Horse and Smithfiled stations...

 

https://www.star-tel...e250792789.html



#103 JBB

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 12:47 PM

Keyworth Brewing adjacent to Smithfield is mentioned in the article.  It's a really interesting project.  It's a three story building and the elevation of the site makes the second story level with Davis Blvd.  I believe it's going to be mixed use with office and the brewery space.  I can't remember if the bottom floor is parking or office use.  They have been massively delayed due to the pandemic and the shortage of construction materials.  They posted recently on Facebook that they steel framing is complete and they're done pouring concrete.  The building sits about 100 yards from the Cottonbelt Trail and less than a quarter mile from Smithfield Station (and about a 10 minute walk from my house).



#104 Jeriat

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 09:35 PM

with conversation of development around the Iron Horse and Smithfiled stations...

 

https://www.star-tel...e250792789.html

 

Paywall...


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#105 JBB

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 09:49 PM

Go to incognito mode in Chrome, Google search Texrail, go to the news tab, click on the article. That should get you around the paywall. Probably works in other browsers too.

#106 Jeriat

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Posted 24 April 2021 - 01:01 PM

Go to incognito mode in Chrome, Google search Texrail, go to the news tab, click on the article. That should get you around the paywall. Probably works in other browsers too.

Thanks


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#107 BlueMound

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Posted 25 April 2021 - 03:56 PM

Grapevine Main Station (the development around the Texrail station) is having a grand opening Saturday. The observation tower will be open to the public for the first time.

https://fwtx.com/new...d-opening-date/

Grapevine-Main-NVWGT-Extended%20sky.jpg


Very clever of Grapevine
The inside of the Grapevine Main Station is a Food Hall.
Great tourist destination.
Train + Hotel + Food Hall
Great idea.

#108 Austin55

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Posted 21 May 2021 - 09:19 PM

Took my first trip to the new station, incredible. Grapevine really hit a home run. The structure is beautiful and imposing (in a good way) and the interior is spectacularly done. I would like to take a staycation to the Vin for sure. 

Also, TEXRail seems to be picking up ridership again. Took the ~5:45 out and saw a decent amount of commuters and came back on the ~8:50 and there was a decent number of folks coming and going. It was far from busy, but I'd say at least 6-10 people per car. This was my first time on transit since March 2020, so it's a tiny sample size but nice to see.



#109 elpingüino

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Posted 07 August 2021 - 07:09 AM

Dallas Morning News' architecture critic and UTA architecture professor Mark Lamster has a thoughtful, nuanced review of Grapevine Main

In Grapevine, a building so weird you have to see it


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#110 JBB

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Posted 01 August 2022 - 02:34 PM

I passed through the Iron Horse station area this morning and noticed that a ton of progress has been made on the apartments along Iron Horse Blvd. from 820 up to the northeast end of the station.  There are a half dozen or so building in various stages of completion from first floor framing up to a few that look mostly dried in.  



#111 Austin55

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Posted 13 September 2022 - 10:37 AM

I was curious how the Iron Horse TOD was looking and stopped by with the drone on Saturday. 

 

These townhomes are all to the North of the station a bit, North of Browning St. You can see the tracks on the left. 

 

nMY0un3.jpg

 

Turning around towards the SE some, there's a big development on the SE side of Browning and Iron Horse, called "Cavali at Iron Horse". This is 328 units and opened last year. 

 

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Turning more towards the station, you can see the station itself and the new multifamily construction immediately in front of the station. I can't tell if any of this will have ground floor retail or not, but at least one of the buildings has a concrete framed first floor. You can also see a large dirt plot at the bottom right that will be more future development (I think this is "The Fountains" site)

 

FNnWEWW.jpg

 

A closer look at the project adjacent the station. Not great urban design, but at least it's some density nearby a train station. One thing I find ironic is that the apartment project on the right is actually much closer to the station, but would require a walk of nearly a mile from the building closest to the station itself. 

IaHVnmb.jpg



#112 JBB

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Posted 13 September 2022 - 10:54 AM

It's amazing how fast all of that has gone in.  Like you said, not the best urban design, but it's something.

 

The apartments across the tracks pre-date what became TEX Rail by quite awhile.  Everything west of the main drive is more than 20 years old.  East side is closing in on 10 years.  It would be nice to find a way to connect the development more directly to the station - bridge, tunnel, hoverboard?



#113 Stadtplan

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Posted 13 September 2022 - 12:33 PM

Love that last shot Austin55, with the skyline in the background!  This opens up a ton of possibilities being right on the TexRail, both work and play.  If I lived here, I would grab my bike on a Saturday and take the train somewhere to go biking.  I've seen several companies in Denver put thought into site selection based on light rail proximity, and it becomes a big selling point to prospective employees (that's back when employees actually came to the office).



#114 rriojas71

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Posted 13 September 2022 - 12:41 PM

Funny that you are posting this.  I got back from a trip on Sunday and passed by here on the Texrail heading home and I was commenting to my partner how many new units have been added here since I last used Texrail.  I was completely surprised.  Not sure how much these will add to ridership but only time will tell. 



#115 Austin55

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Posted 13 September 2022 - 07:26 PM

Love that last shot Austin55, with the skyline in the background! 

If you look top right in the first one, you can see the Dallas skyline. 

 

I found a site plan of the project that is under construction now, 

QUNqHj1.png



#116 steave

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Posted 15 September 2022 - 06:49 PM

Do these newer apartment complexes have more parking than those from the 2000s and before?

 

For example, the ones pictures above have multiple rows of spaces per building. The same is true for the apartments being built around Alliance, where they are basically a ring around a full sized parking lot with several rows.

 

In constrast, apartments from 20 years ago are just one street with pull-in parking spaces and buildings, and seem to have comparably more green space.



#117 JBB

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Posted 16 September 2022 - 08:44 AM

Just pure speculation on my part, but apartments built 20 or more years ago were typically 2-3 stories whereas 4 story complexes are much more common now.  Perhaps that contributes to the need for more parking.  It's still way too much parking, but that's a fight for another day.

 

I lived in 3 apartments before I owned a house and only one had any significant amount of green space.  It was brand new when I lived there in 2001 and it had nice grassy areas with sidewalks between the buildings.  Unfortunately it was poorly maintained and had no shade whatsoever  outside of early and late in the day.  The other 2 were built in the mid-80s and one only had a lawn around the office and mailroom and the other only had a really nice green space on one end surrounding a creek.  As nice as it was, it was poorly connected to most of the complex and underutilized.  Apartments by their nature don't place a lot of priority on nice green space.  I'm not sure that's something that's changed recently.



#118 Austin55

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Posted 26 September 2022 - 03:34 PM

Looks like on of those apartments from above suffered a small fire yesterday, possible lightning strike. Doesn't look too bad. 

 

https://www.facebook.../?s=group_other



#119 JBB

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Posted 23 June 2023 - 02:39 PM

Found a zoning case in the NRH council agenda this week for possible TOD just to the northeast of Smithfield station:

 

https://nrhtx.legist...B5-12FF1DE12F6D



#120 Jeriat

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Posted 23 June 2023 - 10:30 PM

Found a zoning case in the NRH council agenda this week for possible TOD just to the northeast of Smithfield station:

 

https://nrhtx.legist...B5-12FF1DE12F6D

It was just a matter of time...


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#121 RD Milhollin

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Posted 24 June 2023 - 12:39 PM

All surface parking? Best to include heat island effect, usable open space, and runoff/flooding concerns when addressing this plan. This does not seem a very "urban" or even "modern/sustainable" design.



#122 Jeriat

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Posted 25 June 2023 - 12:16 AM

All surface parking? Best to include heat island effect, usable open space, and runoff/flooding concerns when addressing this plan. This does not seem a very "urban" or even "modern/sustainable" design.

Well... North Richland Hills is a suburb, so it's not surprising to see this.


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#123 Crestline

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Posted 25 June 2023 - 06:11 AM

Found a zoning case in the NRH council agenda this week for possible TOD just to the northeast of Smithfield station:

 

https://nrhtx.legist...B5-12FF1DE12F6D

 

This is great. On the map below the TEXRail station is at A, this proposed development is at C, and there's still a giant empty lot at B in between. So, if they build out this gentle density at C and it goes well for them, they can double down and build some even denser TOD at B in a few years (assuming B's owner isn't a goober about it).

 

LcEigLw.png



#124 JBB

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Posted 29 August 2023 - 02:32 PM

There was another TOD project on the agenda for the NRH city council last night.  Directly across Smithfield Rd. to the west of the station.  280 apartments in a 4 story building, 15 townhomes, 3 story garage.  The layout is pretty meh.  The garage fronts the tracks and the trail with a firelane in between, but hey, it's not a surface lot.  It looks like it passed, but a large portion of the meeting was taken up with the proposal.  I'll try to watch it tonight when I have time.


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#125 Jeriat

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Posted 30 August 2023 - 07:23 PM

There was another TOD project on the agenda for the NRH city council last night.  Directly across Smithfield Rd. to the west of the station.  280 apartments in a 4 story building, 15 townhomes, 3 story garage.  The layout is pretty meh.  The garage fronts the tracks and the trail with a firelane in between, but hey, it's not a surface lot.  It looks like it passed, but a large portion of the meeting was taken up with the proposal.  I'll try to watch it tonight when I have time.

 

I felt like that area has a potential to be NRH's "Downtown"... even though you could probably say that about City Point... idk.


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#126 Austin55

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Posted 04 December 2023 - 08:55 PM

The Goodwill on Berry St is closing. A great site adjacent to the planned Berry Station.

#127 John T Roberts

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Posted 04 December 2023 - 09:16 PM

That will be a great site, right next to the future TEXRail Station.  The building is a former Post Office.  According to Historic Aerials, it was built between 1956 and 1963.  It was probably built after 1960, since I can remember when it opened. 

 

The previous Post Office building was on the southwest corner of Willing and Berry, and it is now a church.  After the USPS left Berry Street, they opened a new branch on 8th Ave., just north of Fiesta.



#128 TLA

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Posted 05 December 2023 - 08:22 AM

I hope the future station will get city leaders to take note of surrounding area’s pedestrian friendliness. Once you leave the TCU bubble it’s very clear all the way down Berry towards Hemphill it’s inhospitable. Throw in the school rush from the high school or a train, it’s not a friendly place to drive either.

Regarding the post office. Does it have any historic designation?

#129 John T Roberts

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Posted 05 December 2023 - 08:51 AM

The two older post offices off of Berry Street do not have any historic designations.  The one in Downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and City of Fort Worth Demolition Delay.


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#130 JBB

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Posted 05 September 2024 - 01:16 PM

Found a zoning case in the NRH council agenda this week for possible TOD just to the northeast of Smithfield station:

 

https://nrhtx.legist...B5-12FF1DE12F6D

 

I haven't had time to follow up with a friend to get the inside scoop, but this project was dealt a blow by the NRH city council last week.  During the open mic portion of the meeting, one resident spoke in opposition to more apartments in the city.  The property was on the executive session agenda and, when they addressed it at the end of the meeting, a motion was put forward to amend the development agreement to extend the deadline for the developer to close on one of the parcels.  Staff indicated that the apartments had been approved and that this motion only applied to extedning the agreement.  One councilman spoke out against it citing that it had been extended mulitple times and that he had heard widespread opposition to apartments from residents.  Another spoke out against it citing the same opposition.  The motion failed 3-4 with even the councilman that made the motion voting against it (???).  Not sure where that leaves the project, but I would imagine it is a setback at the least.



#131 FortWorthian

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Posted 07 October 2024 - 01:34 PM

https://www.tdlr.tex.../TABS2025002557

 

PROJECT
Project Name: New mixed-use project, includes structured parking garage, multi-family, and retail
Project Number: TABS2025002557
Facility Name: Wheelhouse
Location Address: 6401 Smithfield North Richland Hills, TX 76182
Location County: Tarrant
Start Date: 1/30/2025
Completion Date: 12/30/2026
Estimated Cost: $59,000,000
Type of Work: New Construction
Type of Funds: This project is privately funded, on private land for private use.
Scope of Work: 3 level structured parking 130,254 GSF, 277 multi-family units and amenities 295,730 GSF, Retail 10,251 GSF
Square Footage: 436,235 ft 2
Are the private funds provided by the tenant? No
 
OWNER
Owner Name:
C2C Smithfield LP
Owner Address:
3000 Keller Springs Road, Suite 400
Carrollton, Texas 75006
 
TENANT
Not Assigned
 
DESIGN FIRM
Design Firm Name:
M A Workshop
Design Firm Address:
1327 Dragon Street
Dallas, Texas 75207


#132 Austin55

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Posted 08 October 2024 - 02:28 PM

Nice, it looks like it's going to occupy the entire site to the west of Smithfield and north of Arthur. That will really elevate the station. 

 

 

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#133 JBB

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Posted 08 October 2024 - 03:02 PM

There was a plat case before NRH zoning last week for a small development in the TOD area to the east of Davis.  50 or so zero lot line houses with some green space.  It's a nice looking project, but it already sounds like it has drainage challenges and will get a little pushback from the neighbors.  Therein lies the problem with NRH.  Everyone wants lower taxes, but they pretty much hate any new development.  The developer's rep at the zoning meeting certainly had his act together and sounds like he is willing to do a lot to make it happen.



#134 FortWorthian

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Posted 10 October 2024 - 09:55 AM

Plans for $59M mixed-use project in northern Tarrant County moves forward
The site includes apartments, townhomes, retail and more, the developer said.
 
By Nick Wooten @ DMN
 
 
UIE4NBAY2RCVJICRPJGTYGXQVY.jpg?auth=059c
Carrollton-based Cover2 Capital expects to work on its Wheelhouse development (6401 Smithfield Road) in the first quarter of 2025.(Courtesy of Cover2 Capital)

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#135 Austin55

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Posted 13 January 2025 - 08:22 PM

No news or anything here, just a thought. It's frustrating how little the Northside or Mercantile stations are being handled. Not only is there no development, but all the surrounding land is zoned industrial, so even if something does get built it likely won't be very transit compatible. 



#136 TLA

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Posted 13 January 2025 - 08:45 PM

I agree. The fact that the T&P Vickery project fell through doesn’t bode well for those less high profile areas. For Northside, I hope the land west of Decatur Ave will someday be apartments and offices. You could build pedestrian and bike paths directly from the station and development over the tracks to the Stockyards.

Mercantile seems like a long play by Trinity Metro. If Fort Worth maintains its growth, I can’t imagine we will have industrial and warehouse operations in increasingly valuable land. But big if.

#137 Jeriat

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Posted 13 January 2025 - 09:53 PM

No news or anything here, just a thought. It's frustrating how little the Northside or Mercantile stations are being handled. Not only is there no development, but all the surrounding land is zoned industrial, so even if something does get built it likely won't be very transit compatible. 

Honestly, I still feel like they picked the wrong location for the Northside station. 

I don't know why they didn't veer more towards The Stockyards. 


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#138 elpingüino

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Posted 13 January 2025 - 10:17 PM

Honestly, I still feel like they picked the wrong location for the Northside station. 

I don't know why they didn't veer more towards The Stockyards. 


During the planning phase, one alternative had a station closer to the Stockyards, but that route would have bypassed downtown.

tex-rail-route.png

#139 Jeriat

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Posted 13 January 2025 - 10:38 PM

 

Honestly, I still feel like they picked the wrong location for the Northside station. 

I don't know why they didn't veer more towards The Stockyards. 


During the planning phase, one alternative had a station closer to the Stockyards, but that route would have bypassed downtown.

tex-rail-route.png

 

Yeah, I remember. 

They could have pick the other route that didn't bypass downtown. 

(Obviously, that 7th Street station could be used for a different route, if they ever get to that.)


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#140 txbornviking

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Posted 14 January 2025 - 08:58 AM

we've seen how successful the Grapevine station has been, both from TOD development as well as ridership etc etc... Ft Worth REALLY dropped the ball in not having the Northside station closer to the Stockyards. I have no doubt the stockyards would be a similar driver of ridership



#141 roverone

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Posted 14 January 2025 - 09:57 AM

It looks like it would not have been very practical for them to find a path that had both downtown and got closer to the Stockyards -- you can't practically have train track intersections, and there are a lot of tracks in the area.

 

The chosen station location is not so practical for the Stockyards -- even with the Stockyards expansion, it is some 2100+ feet away, and you would have to get people over 8 railroad tracks + NE 28th Street -- after you bought out some pretty large commercial properties.

 

It does look like a low-investment station, so they could maybe move it south -- if they could acquire some of the commercial properties to the west of where Brennen Ave. dead ends at Decatur Ave., you could have a station that is almost lined up with Exchange and only 800 feet or so to get to an expanded Stockyards.  Although closer together, that is still 8-9 tracks you have to get people over.

 

If we were a rich city, maybe a deck park solution could be made wide enough to have businesses on both sides to draw people in and tie to Exchange (if ongoing development has not already blocked that as an option).

 

I suppose another alternative is to invite Musk to bore a tunnel -- but I don't know how you make that usable -- no one wants to walk that far in a tunnel with nothing to do, and some kind of people mover with two tunnels just starts to add up.

 

And moving the station might well take away any ordinary neighborhood community use, moving it from a busy street to a more rustic area.

 

I suppose it was all they could do to get the rail funded in the first place, and so these were unaffordable moonshot ideas at the time.


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#142 FortWorthian

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Posted 14 January 2025 - 02:47 PM

Just a thought, but the METRORail Red Line in Houston through downtown to the zoo and Med Center seems to be a pretty efficient use of space along existing roadways with frequent enough stops not needing spectacular "stations" more like simple bus stop platforms on / off the train.  Totally different style of train I guess?  I don't know enough about the history of it to speak intelligently about the difference between it and TEXRail but it seemed pretty convenient as a means to get from downtown to the hospitals or park by the zoo, bit of walking but what isn't.


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#143 JBB

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Posted 14 January 2025 - 03:08 PM

Houston Metrorail is light rail with the modern streetcar look. We talked about using it the last time we went to the zoo and decided to just drive.  Big mistake since it was a holiday weekend.  We found parking pretty quick but probably not in the 10 minutes it would have taken to walk over from the station.



#144 Jeriat

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Posted 14 January 2025 - 09:22 PM

 

 

I suppose another alternative is to invite Musk to bore a tunnel -- but I don't know how you make that usable -- no one wants to walk that far in a tunnel with nothing to do, and some kind of people mover with two tunnels just starts to add up.

 

 

Please don't bring that up. That's a terrible idea. 


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