The Oxbow at Frisco, pitched as “a new Texas landmark urban prairie,” is a 218-acre, $5.1 billion project planned to be located on the southwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and US 380. Several facets of the mixed-use, nature-focused development were shown in a special joint work session at The Grove at Frisco Commons.
Frisco’s City Council, the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission and the Frisco Economic Development Corp. attended the work session, where six partnering architectural firms shared plans for the massive development plan on land currently owned by the Wilks family.
“We came to the decision that it’s hard, if not impossible, to find somewhere else like this,” said Kyle Wilks, the president of Wilks Development whose family has owned the land for six years. “Where else would you be besides Frisco?”
Highlights of the project include a 350,000-square-foot convention center and hotel, a 4-mile hike and bike trail and townhouse residencies that take advantage of the Parvin Creek corridor’s open greenspace in the area. A total of 15,000 parking spots were pitched, not counting a “20% reduction based on a mixed-use shared parking strategy.”
The Oxbow Park and Trail is a key focus in the potential development. Amenities in the park would include terraced amphitheaters, nature trails, a children’s play area and a pedestrian bridge spanning over Parvin Creek.
Projected building costs of the development totals $198 million, according to the design team’s presentation. An estimated $125 million to $160 annual economic impact was presented as a “conservative” projection. The project is expected to take 10 to 12 years for total completion, according to the presentation.
Other amenities pitched include an office campus for flight transportation company Uber Elevate, an esports arena and a music hall.
“The way we thought about this together is really designed to be an active space, multi-use and multi-capacity and driving energy into Frisco on a daily basis,” said Dan Fenton, executive vice president on the travel and tourism team for commercial real estate firm JLL.
Following the presentation, several city representatives shared reactions and criticism.
Mayor Jeff Cheney called the development a gateway into the PGA Frisco region, praising the idea of “activating the open space” and continuing negotiations. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Rob Cox expressed reluctance with open prairie space. Several representatives expressed a desire to go “vertical” with structures.
Some City Council Members worried the project would clutter an already-packed region in Frisco where several projects are currently underway. Council Member Angelia Pelham said she was concerned over interfering existing projects, such as the future Omni Hotel and PGA Frisco, and also expressed concern over a workforce shortage.
"Will there be a level of cannibalization that will exist for PGA?" Pelham asked. "My second question was just about labor and hospitality. Right now, it is an industry that's struggling to gather labor, especially with us having a limited supply of affordable housing."
The project will continue to be refined and deliberated, criticism from the city indicated.
"We want you to continue to move the ball forward," Cheney said.
Clarification: JLL is a commercial real estate firm with offices in 80 countries.
