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Community Impact •

Development plans underway for future tollway corridor in Prosper, Celina

With construction on the future Dallas North Tollway corridor expansion wrapping up next fall, Prosper and Celina officials are planning for what development along the corridor should look like.

Tollway development in Celina could include office campuses, entertainment venues, hotels and employment centers. In Prosper, officials are planning for mixed-use developments featuring retail, restaurants, offices and housing.
Community Impact •

Frisco’s proposed animal facility could cost up to $24M amid county shelter discussions

Plans are changing slightly for Frisco’s proposed public-private animal facility.

At a May 19 work session, Frisco City Council and city staff discussed updated plans for the proposed 21,000-square-foot animal services facility, which city officials said could cost up to $24 million.

Ken Schmidt, Frisco director of special projects, said costs for the proposed project are now expected to range between $18 million-$24 million, adding that it will likely be closer to the later figure. The facility was initially estimated to cost $12.8 million, per previous reporting.
Community Impact •

Frisco, Dude Perfect seek state tax incentive for $1.7M media production expansion

Media entertainment group Dude Perfect is pursuing a state designation that would provide a temporary exemption from certain sales and use taxes tied to the company’s planned expansion at The Star in Frisco.

Frisco City Council approved two items at a May 5 meeting tied to the application, designating Frisco as a media production development zone and approving Dude Perfect as a qualifying location within that zone.

If approved by the state, the incentive would provide a two-year exemption from certain sales and use taxes on specific construction and equipment costs tied to the facility expansion.
Community Impact •

‘A generational gift’: Frisco begins construction on 1,011-acre Grand Park

Construction is officially underway on the first phase of Grand Park, Frisco’s long-planned signature park near downtown.

City officials broke ground April 27 on the park, which will span over 1,000 acres just west of the Dallas North Tollway. Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said Grand Park will be a “world-class park” and compared its scale to New York City’s Central Park, which covers about 843 acres.
Community Impact •

Celina eyes 113-acre land trade with Prosper ISD

A land swap between the city of Celina and Prosper ISD could move forward in the next several months, potentially resulting in a nearly 300-acre park off Smiley Road.

Under the proposed deal, Celina City Manager Robert Ranc said the city would trade about 113 acres of city-owned parkland to PISD for a future high school site near the Smiley Road and Carey Road intersection.

In exchange, the city would receive roughly 107 acres of land off Smiley Road from landowner Merritt/Thornton Farm, a partnership tied to the nearby Mosaic master-planned community developed by Tellus Group. Ranc said the property could be combined with nearby land to create a park totaling about 296 acres.
Community Impact •

Relieving the pressure: $136M US 380 project adds overpasses, reduces congestion

After years of construction, the Texas Department of Transportation is nearing completion of its $135.9 million US 380 improvement project in Denton County.

Tila Grant, TxDOT public information officer, said in an email final work on the project is expected to wrap up sometime in April. However, remaining construction on the Collin County segment is still years out from finishing as exact timelines are still being determined due to questions of funding.
Community Impact •

Frisco to host Sweden National Team for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Frisco will serve as the home base for the Sweden National Team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sweden secured its spot in the tournament with a 3-2 win over Poland in the Union of European Football Associations Path B playoff final March 31, according to a FC Dallas news release.

Sweden will use Frisco’s Toyota Stadium as a training facility and stay at the nearby Westin Stonebriar Golf Resort and Spa in between games.
Community Impact •

North Texas, Houston earn $116M in grants for FIFA World Cup safety measures

North Texas and Houston are set to receive a combined $116 million in grants to support public safety efforts ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a March 25 news release from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

The funding will be distributed to the city of Houston and the North Central Texas Council of Governments in North Texas to support additional safety personnel, equipment and other public safety resources tied to World Cup events, according to the release. The grants are part of the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, which will distribute $625 million to host cities nationwide.
Community Impact •

Prosper’s $26M park nears completion

Raymond Community Park is now partially open after more than a year of construction and rising costs.

Once fully built out, Raymond Community Park will include tennis and pickleball courts, baseball fields, batting cages, multipurpose fields, a playground and a community garden.

Prosper officials broke ground on the park in January 2024. The project has faced delays and cost increases due to inflation, construction timing and field sod issues, Parks and Recreation Director Dan Baker said.
Community Impact •

Plano council to consider economic incentives tied to new $1.35B AT&T HQ

AT&T’s plan to relocate its global headquarters to Plano is moving into a new phase as city officials prepare to consider a package of economic incentives tied to the $1.35 billion redevelopment project.

Plano City Council will consider two economic development agreements Feb. 23 that would offer $20 million in financial incentives to AT&T in exchange for establishing the company’s global headquarters in Plano’s Legacy District.
Community Impact •

Plano could cancel DART withdrawal election as funding plan advances

After months of negotiations, Plano and other member cities that called for withdrawal elections from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Agency may move to rescind them following a series of regional meetings this week.

In the latest step, the Regional Transportation Council, a 45-member group of area transportation leaders, approved at a Feb. 12 meeting dedicating $180 million towards regional transit agencies, including about $75 million to help fund DART’s new proposed funding model.
Community Impact •

DART board approves new funding, governance plan amid withdrawal negotiations

Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials are taking the first steps to establish a new funding and governance model in negotiations with member cities considering withdrawal from DART.

At their Feb. 10 meeting, DART officials approved initial proposals for a plan that could lead six DART member cities to consider canceling their upcoming withdrawal elections. The DART board will consider final approval at its Feb. 24 meeting.
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