Frisco City Council members placed the propositions on the ballot during a Feb. 4 meeting with a 5-1 vote. The bond, if approved, would not increase the city’s property tax rate.
The first proposition asks voters to authorize the Economic Development Corporation to use its sales and use tax, not property taxes, for a city-owned performing arts facility. The second proposition asks voters to authorize the city to issue up to $160 million in bonds to go toward the art center.
Neither of the propositions will officially approve the Frisco Center for the Arts, just one of the funding sources for it. A council vote on the project itself is expected to come after the May 3 election.
Broadway is “right at our doorstep,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
“I've been proud to be part of the process of and the dream of bringing the performing arts center to the residents of Frisco,” he said.
The breakdown
As of Feb. 4, the project is expected to cost between $300 million-$340 million.
Funding for the Frisco Center for the Arts would not come from Frisco alone—PISD signed a letter of intent in October pledging it would put $100 million toward the project from its $125 million arts facility bond proposition that voters passed in 2023.
Aside from the letter of intent, PISD has not officially voted to partner with Frisco for the project.
The rest of the funding would need to come from corporate and individual gifts as naming rights for the facility and performing centers are sold, according to a meeting presentation from Theatre Project Consultants Inc.
Theatre Projects is one of the consulting groups hired by the city for the project.
The vision for the Frisco Center of the Arts includes:
- A 2,800-seat performance hall, capable of accommodating Broadway and large touring and community productions
- A 300 to 400-seat community hall to be used primarily by PISD while also providing access to community organizations and events
- Support spaces, rehearsal areas and visual arts creative spaces
“Prosper ISD will have predominant and first right of refusal into that [community] space,” said Gena Buhler, a principal with Theatre Projects.
The partnership with PISD would give students facility access to learn various production roles, said Paul McGinley, a theatre consultant with Theatre Projects, during a Jan. 31 Frisco City Council work session.
If the project continues—a final decision won’t be made until after May 3—the arts center would be built at a Frisco-owned site at the southwest corner of US 380 and Dallas Parkway. The property is located inside the city and PISD’s overlapping boundaries.
Letters of intent are not binding. Broadway Across America also signed a letter of intent with the city in October stating it would create a “Broadway Frisco” program similar to Broadway Dallas.
Frisco officials are currently in the final stages of finding a venue operator for the facility, Buhler said.
Funding the project
The first proposition on the ballot asking voters to authorize using EDC funds is required by state law, according to the Texas Comptroller’s website.
The EDC funds are a “Type A” resource, which are used for manufacturing and industrial development projects, while the Frisco Center for the Arts is a “Type B” project, which are considered quality of life improvement projects and includes entertainment facilities.
Type A funds cannot be used for Type B projects without voter approval.
The bonds would be repaid from a combination of funding from the EDC, CDC and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1:
- $45 million from the CDC
- $75 million from the EDC
- $40 million from Tax Reinvestment Zone No. 1
A tax reinvestment zone, also known as a TIRZ, captures growth in both sales and property tax value. Taxes generated from the TIRZ’s captured value can only fund improvements for the properties inside its boundaries.
For example, funding from TIRZ No. 1 also helped pay for the Toyota Stadium renovations.
The $160 million in the second ballot proposition is a “not to exceed” amount, meaning the city could choose not to use the full amount but has the option to, according to meeting documents.
“These aren't cash reserves being shifted over, this is essentially debt service,” Assistant City Manager EA Hoppe said. “This will be ongoing debt service to support any debt that the council issues after being authorized by the community.”
City Manager Wes Pierson said the city has the option to not issue any debt until the other funding sources have come in.
The funding sources being used for the Frisco Center for the Arts would not take any money from other city needs and projects, Cheney said.
Keep in mind
The city funding through the bond is the major first step before creating the performing arts center. There are several other things that have to happen to start construction and a final decision on the city moving forward on the project will be made this summer.
As of Feb. 4, the facility would most likely open in 2030, Buhler said. The project is dependent on the city, PISD and donation sources, the last of which may not come in until after construction has started, she said.
What they’re saying
Council member Brian Livingston said he was in favor of bringing the decision to voters but that he was personally opposed to the project itself. He voted against the Feb. 4 item putting it on the ballot.
“I don’t want to appear that I am promoting or supporting this project,” he said.
Three Frisco residents spoke against the arts center during the meeting.
“I want to make sure that we are fiscally and financially responsible,” resident John Redmond said.
Resident Josh Meek, who is a member of the CDC, was one of two residents who spoke in favor of the arts center and in favor of bringing the decision to the voters.
“There’s too much of a possibility to not explore,” he said.
Looking back
The Frisco Center for the Arts was almost a Frisco ISD project.
- June 2021: FISD, the city of Frisco and Hall Park enter a partnership to build a joint performing arts center at the Hall Park office park using district bond funding.
- August 2022: The city and the school district announce they are parting ways and canceling the joint project plans.
The FISD performing arts center is currently under construction and is projected to open in 2026.
FISD could still play a role in the city-owned facility and share in the student opportunities, Cheney said.
Stay tuned
There are several important dates to know when it comes to the ballot propositions:
- Deadline to place items on the ballot—Feb. 14
- Last day to register to vote—April 3
- First day of early voting—April 22
- Last day of early voting—April 29
- Election day—May 3
“We are looking forward to great community dialogue here leading up to May,” Cheney said.
The next major project milestone will come in July, Buhler said.
