Frisco City Council members approved a $1.42 million contract with Theatre Projects Consultants Inc. for consulting services related to a multivenue performing arts complex during a Sept. 5 meeting.
The consultation process—which includes venue tours, a costing study, community feedback and compiling a business plan—is expected to take 18 months and finish in March 2025, according to meeting documents.
The breakdown
Representatives from Theatre Project Consultants Inc. and Keen Independent Research first gave a presentation on the performing arts complex during council’s June 29-30 summer work session meetings.
Both representatives returned Sept. 5 to present an updated timeline during a work session before council approved the contract during its regular meeting.
Here is quick look at the Theatre Project Consultants’ timeline:
- September 2023-March 2024: similar-size club and venue visits, site analysis, concept design and renderings, facilitating potential Broadway partnerships, and business plan refinement
- February 2024-July 2024: community engagement and check-ins
- July 2024-March 2025: competition, costing and a final plan presentation
“If you jump right into design when this is done, you're opening [the complex] by [early] 2029,” she said.
Sorting out details
Some aspects of the complex have already been decided, such as its location inside the Hall Park office park because of a donation from the Hall Group, Buhler said.
“There's a bit of confidence that comes into this [project] where Mr. [Craig] Hall and the Hall Group are donating the land and up to $20 million,” she said.
The rest of the complex can still be decided as city officials and consultants work out the concrete details, such as the number of centers and their sizes.
As of Sept. 5, early plans for the complex include four separate spaces.
“This would be a complex that can have Broadway and larger commercial shows in a large space that's probably somewhere north of 2,000 seats,” Buhler said.
The complex would also provide a space for the city’s smaller local theater groups with an approximately 600-seat venue, a community black box and outdoor space, she said.
What’s next?
Council’s approval of the consulting contract allows Theatre Project Consultants to start immediately, according to meeting documents.
The consulting process will be able to give council an overview of what Frisco needs from the complex and what relationships it could bring the city, such as the potential Broadway Across America deal.
“This is exactly what we said we wanted,” Council Member Angelia Pelham said during the Sept. 5 work session. “At the end of the day, we said we want to be able to make a data-driven decision about the performing arts center that couldn't be based on wants or desires or emotions.”
