The development, along the Dallas North Tollway, took the latest steps toward its mid-2026 opening date in January as the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission approved several open space and site plans. Roads are already under construction as it relates to the project, officials said.
Preleasing is also underway with a number of businesses committing to open in the development, though details could not be shared, said Rand Horowitz, founding partner of SHOP Companies, which is overseeing the leasing of Fields West.
“The level of interest at the earliest stages has been unobstructed and almost immediately engaging by the retailers,” Horowitz said. “We’re honestly exceeding our expectations [of] how the market has taken to the vision of the asset.”
The project includes:
- 350,000 sq. ft. retail, restaurant and entertainment space
- 1,200 multifamily units
- 375 hotel rooms planned
- 325,000 sq. ft. office space
Fields West is a 55-acre project within the greater 2,500-acre Fields development. Fields West is across the Dallas North Tollway from the planned Universal Kids Resort in Frisco. Universal is also expected to open in 2026.
Fields West is being developed by Fehmi Karahan and The Karahan Companies, which also developed Legacy West in Plano. Karahan is the president and CEO of The Karahan Companies and has been since 1992. The Fields project will be similar to Legacy West but bigger, officials said. Legacy West’s mixed-used component, which is comparable to Fields West, is 34 acres.
The greater Fields development is a $10 billion project compared to Legacy West’s $3 billion pricetag, according to 2021 data. The Fields development includes Fields West, The Professional Golfers’ Association of America resort and golf course and several residential neighborhoods—which will house at least 10,000 residents.
Visit Frisco Executive Director Marla Roe said Fields West will be a “vibrant hub.”
It is too early to anticipate the economic impact of the Fields West project, but Roe said she sees the development as a way to attract and keep people and their money in Frisco.
“People who might historically have just gone to Legacy West will now have an opportunity to find something new and very similar and different in its own right here in Frisco,” Roe said.
Diving deeper
The development brings with it two luxury hotels with The Ritz-Carlton and an Autograph Collection by Marriott, which will contribute to the city’s hotel occupancy tax rates and tourism, said Gloria Salinas, Frisco Economic Development Corporation vice president.
“If you would have asked a Frisco resident 10-15 years ago about a Ritz-Carlton or some of these other kinds of luxury brands, whether you [would] see that in Frisco, they may have found it hard to believe,” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
The additional hotel occupancy funds, which are generated when people stay in hotels, would go toward community projects, Roe said. Estimations on how much the new hotels will bring are unknown at this time.
The tourism that a development like Fields West will bring will trickle down to the existing businesses, as well, Roe said.
What they're saying
“What it does for our residents is not only does it bring amenities nearby that will serve their day-to-day needs but also helps with our tourism," Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
“A development like Fields West will bring in new corporate headquarters [and] new offices, which brings in new employees that can then be patrons of our other existing businesses,” said Christal Howard, Frisco Chamber of Commerce President and CEO.
Looking ahead
Roe said having Fields West in north Frisco will attract those north of US 380 as opposed to them traveling further south for older shopping developments.
“If you’re coming from out of town, you’re not going to pass a huge mall to go to another huge mall,” she said.
The development will also bring with it office space, which Salinas projects will bring in corporate headquarters and employment options to Frisco residents.
As of 2019, only around 14% of Frisco residents worked in the city, with the rest commuting to their jobs, according to EDC data.
“The job growth hasn’t been able to keep up with [Frisco’s] population boom,” Salinas said. “Building out our corporate community is really important to the EDC.”
