The Frisco Economic Development Corporation signed a development agreement with Wilks Development on April 18. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for June 27.
The FEDC is contributing 59 acres of land for the project, officials said. The FEDC will also reimburse the developer for infrastructure construction as part of the agreement.
"We didn’t have an idea of what [the land] could be there, what the potential was,” FEDC President Jason Ford said during an April 30 Development Summit.
The corner of PGA Parkway and Dallas North Tollway is “the most premium corner in all of North Texas,” Ford said.
The FEDC agreement comes after Frisco City Council members approved new zoning to allow additional surface parking for the project on April 2.
“It’s just great to see actual projects going forward,” Ford told Community Impact.
What to expect
The crown jewel of Firefly Park—which will also feature an event lawn, a wedding chapel, hike and bike trails, and more once fully built—is its park space, Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
“One of its signature features is this 45-acre signature park, which includes an architectural interactive, immersive light feature, which is a part of a walkway,” Ford said. “It’s really something that sets it apart from all the other developments.”
The interactive light exhibit is where the Firefly Park project gets its name, Ford said.
The development will offer patrons whatever they need through office, retail and more, Wilks Development President Kyle Wilks said.
“If you think about Central Park in New York and how that urban edge comes right up to the park and then you’ve got that beautiful park, that’s exactly the genesis of what we want Firefly Park to be,” he said.
- 3 million square feet of office space
- 400,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment spaces
- 1,200 hotel rooms, some in a Dream Hotel
- 230 townhomes
- 1,970 mid- and high-rise residential units
- 45-acre park
What they’re saying
“Frisco is no longer just a suburban market; it's becoming kind of an urban-suburban market and the destination resort city itself.” Jason Ford, Frisco Economic Development Corporation president
“This whole mile- to two-mile square radius with the PGA as the heartbeat of it is certainly going to be a driving destination for any restaurant or retail brand in the DFW market.” Jeff Cheney, Frisco mayor
How we got here
- 2015: Wilks Development purchases Firefly Park land
- 2017: Development plans are first presented and rejected by the city
- October 2021: Oxbow at Frisco development plans are pitched to city
- January 2022: Oxbow at Frisco plans change and the development is renamed to Frisco North
- Summer 2022: City Council approves another name change to Firefly Park
- March 2024: Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission approve Firefly Park plans
- April 2024: Council approves the development and Frisco Economic Development Corporation enters into Wilks Development partnership
- June 2024: Groundbreaking ceremony held for Firefly Park
The breakdown
The development has been through many iterations. In the early stages, the plans did not take advantage of the area’s natural spaces and would have never been approved as they were, Cheney said.
“I literally told [the developer] that he needs to throw the plans in the trash,” he said.
Construction in the Fields Development has picked up speed with projects including the Professional Golfers’ Association of America headquarters, a planned Baylor Scott & White hospital, and a planned Universal theme park. Firefly Park is the latest in the chain of developments to bolster the north Frisco area, Ford said.
“This is a part of the PGA halo effect,” Ford said during the summit.
What’s next?
Construction will occur over several phases. Phase one includes building out the development’s infrastructure, the Dream Hotel, some office space, the park and some dining and retail spaces. The entire project could likely take over a decade to complete, Ford said.
Contractors will work on the site throughout May ahead of the groundbreaking.
“It’s just a really great, world-class, mixed-use development,” Wilks said. “There’s a lot of great things to visit in Frisco, but when you come to Firefly park, you’re going to want to live there.”
