1. Frisco Fields West moves forward
Fields West, a multibillion-dollar mixed-use development, will bring luxury brands, restaurants, retail and office space to Frisco’s north side.
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.
2. Curtains to open on Frisco ISD visual and performing arts center
Frisco ISD’s new performing arts center is designed to be a hub for its arts programs.
“We’re not just looking at the performance hall, but we’re looking at all the spaces in the facility and being able to increase programming opportunities because we’ll have a centralized home,” said Preston Hazzard, FISD’s managing director of fine arts.The $54.9 million center is slated to break ground before the end of the school year.
During the 2023-24 school year, 78% of middle school students and 51% of high school students are enrolled in fine arts.
“This district deserves a beautiful place,” FISD trustee Mark Hill said at a December board meeting. “We excel at so many things in the fine arts place, so it’s due time.”
3. Fire election sparks debate: Voters set to determine 2 restructure propositions for Frisco Fire Department
Frisco voters will consider two propositions during the May 4 election that, if approved, will change the hiring, promoting and disciplinary structures of the city’s fire department going forward.
Propositions A and B would introduce civil service and collective bargaining, respectively, to the Frisco Fire Department. The two structures are outlined in state law and used in more than 80 cities across Texas.
As election day nears, two groups have come out on either side: Safety First Frisco, whose members argue the structures would slow Frisco’s progress, and the Frisco Fire Fighters Association, whose members fought for the propositions’ placement on the ballot and say a change is necessary as the city grows.
4. Firefly Park, Frisco partnership illuminates path to construction
Firefly Park will move toward development in Frisco after seven years of discussions.
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.
5. New hospital to expand services to north Frisco
Work on Baylor Scott & White’s third Frisco hospital is expected to finish in May 2025.
The $265 million project is located on 37.1 acres at the northeast corner of Dallas Parkway and PGA Parkway. It’s BS&W’s first major hospital project in Frisco since rebranding the Centennial Medical Center in 2016, which originally opened in 2004.
The new hospital will expand BS&W’s services while also adding to Frisco’s economy, officials said.
“The presence of this state-of-the-art medical center makes North Texas more appealing to business, talent and investors, further stimulating the regional economy and driving more development to the northern corridor of Frisco,” said Gloria Salinas, Frisco Economic Development Corporation’s vice president, in an emailed statement.
6. Changes ahead: businesses brace for Rail District construction as Main Street lane closures, roadwork begin this summer
As Frisco’s Rail District hits new construction milestones in its redevelopment, city officials plan to financially support some downtown businesses.
Several businesses have already closed or relocated their downtown storefronts ahead of construction on the Fourth Street plaza, which broke ground June 7. Portions of Main Street will be closed during construction, which is set to finish in 2026. Some business owners are concerned while others look forward to potential growth.
7. ‘Halo effect’ from PGA touches north Frisco development, provides boost to local economy
As the Professional Golfers’ Association of America reaches two years at its Frisco headquarters, city officials are preparing for the next wave of local projects and large-scale tournaments.
Multiple developments were either announced or broke ground in the months following PGA’s opening, and the campus has plans to host several high-profile sporting events that will bring both visitors and millions of dollars in revenue to the city, Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
North Frisco has largely felt the effects, he said.
8. Frisco ISD opens new Career and Technical Education Center wing, expands student capacity
Esports students nestled into their computer chairs as the neon lights subtly changed colors overhead. It’s the first week of school, and their first week in Frisco ISD’s newest addition to its Career and Technical Education Center.
FISD debuted its $22.1 million CTE wing addition for the 2024-25 school year. With the new wing comes nearly 30 extra classrooms and 45,363 additional square feet along with new rooms and labs like the esports lab.
“I see esports evolving as we add more students to our program to provide a more competitive product for the esports industry,” teacher David Loosli said in an email. “With the new addition and all the excitement the esports lab brings, there will hopefully be an increase of students.”
9. Frisco ISD $1.08B bond seeks to aid aging schools
With Frisco ISD’s student growth projected to slow down in the coming years, the district is looking to address its aging infrastructure through three bond propositions. Voters will also see a tax rate election on the ballot.
The largest portion of the $1.08 billion Nov. 5 bond package goes to refreshing 20 FISD campuses that are reaching 25 years of age.
“Frisco ISD is no longer a fast growth district,” said Jamie Heit, an FISD parent and member of the bond exploration committee, during a board workshop. “We no longer need to build additional schools to accommodate growth, but rather we need to focus on upcoming aging facilities.”
10. Expansion plans kick off at FC Dallas' Toyota Stadium
FC Dallas’ home stadium will see updated, fan-friendly multipurpose improvements starting in the new year.
The Toyota Stadium upgrades, which Frisco City Council members approved with a $182 million partnership amendment during a Sept. 17 meeting, will see dirt moving starting January 2025. The east side of the stadium will see the first upgrades while the west side remains operational for the 2025 MLS season.
11. Bypass process begins: Businesses close, see changes as US 380 land acquisitions begin
As the Texas Department of Transportation makes progress on projects along US 380 in Collin and Denton counties, businesses along the roadway have begun to feel the effects of construction.
So far, three businesses have closed in a McKinney shopping center at the northwest corner of University Drive and Walnut Grove Road—Jason’s Deli, White Rhino Coffee and 3Natives, all citing right-of-way acquisitions for the US 380 bypass.
Lacey Yates, owner and dentist at Frisco Crossing Dental Group, said she has seen a decrease in patients, adding that some patients decline to schedule followup appointments because they “avoid this area like the plague.”
“My business was thriving for the first couple of years,” Yates said. “In the last year, everything has just dropped out the bottom.”
