Frisco on the Green and Northwest Community Park are expected to begin construction in early 2023, said Conners Ladner, principal at Design Workshop, the projects’ lead landscape architect. Both parks are along Teel Parkway near the PGA of America headquarters.
Representatives from Design Workshop and the city will be in the atrium at the Frisco Public Library at 6101 Frisco Square Blvd. from 6-7 p.m. to discuss the latest designs and answer questions.
In addition to asking questions, community members will have the opportunity to share thoughts on the design of both parks.
During the vision process for the parks, Design Workshop hosted multiple engagement sessions with the goal of getting feedback from the community, Ladner said. Now that the design is 30% complete, he said this is an ideal time to meet again because there’s still time for the project to evolve.
“We can show [community members] how we've taken that feedback and really started to bring those ideas to life,” Ladner said. “We're also just hoping to hear comments, the things they like, things that they think we could improve on.”
Cost estimates for both parks are expected to come within a few weeks, Ladner said.
Frisco on the Green is a 27-acre park that is planned to be 80% wetland. Ladner said the park will serve as an “outdoor laboratory” focused on “environmental education.”
“There isn't a significant amount of what we would call programming, which are built features,” Ladner said, adding that the design is aiming to enhance the existing landscape and increase the amount of wildlife in the area.
The main fixture of the park is a wildlife pavilion that will feature an 800-square-foot classroom and 800-square-foot observation platform. Design Workshop has taken note of the animals onsite, including monarch butterflies, deer, owls and hawks, and plans to do a follow-up study once the park is built to see if their presence has increased, Ladner said.
“Habitats and ecologies are declining across the country,” Ladner said. “That happens with new development and growing places. Frisco is really doing something incredibly special here by protecting these two parks and expanding them.”
Northwest Community Park is the larger of the two. Plans for the 120-acre project include playgrounds, a dog park, splash pads, an amphitheater and about 10 acres of “flexible lawn space,” Ladner said.
“That park already has some existing bike trails on it, so a big part of the design will be to enhance those bike trails, to add parking, to add restrooms [and] a new entrance plaza,” Ladner said.
Design concepts for both parks will be on display at the library until June 30, according to a news release. Residents may learn more and share feedback on the projects at www.shapeyourplay.com.
