What you need to know
Frisco officials, city staff, local business owners and residents attended the Fourth Street Plaza groundbreaking ceremony on June 7. The construction taking place downtown is part of a larger, multimillion dollar project to redevelop Frisco’s historic downtown.
“No great world class city in the country does not have a great downtown,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said. “This is the beginning of that.”
The background
Redeveloping downtown started with work on Elm Street, which included widening sidewalks and repaving the road.
“We're about to invest over $70 million into the Rail District,” Cheney said. “That included this Elm Street redevelopment ... Main Street being redeveloped and of course the jewel, which is going to be this future Fourth Street Plaza, which will make our downtown truly a destination.”
Construction on Elm Street finished in early spring 2024 and can be used as a detour for drivers in the Rail District while portions of Main Street are under construction.
City staff expect to close portions of Main Street, the next big step in redevelopment, for construction sometime after the city’s Fourth of July celebrations, Assistant Director of Engineering Matthew DuBois said.
“We just feel if we’re this close to [the Fourth of July], let's get through that and then we can start shifting traffic and closing lanes,” DuBois said.
DuBois said he is the main point of contact for the Rail District projects and will be sending out further construction updates as progress is made.
Keep in mind
Redevelopment, which includes widening and removing on-street parking from Main Street; constructing a multi-story, bond-approved parking garage; and building a pedestrian plaza; is expected to finish in summer 2026 just before the World Cup.
Frisco residents should continue to visit and support Rail District businesses during construction, Frisco Chamber of Commerce President Christal Howard said.
“I look forward to the opportunity for all of us to unify together and pour some extra love into our family of businesses down here through this renovation and keep a positive eye on the outcome,” Howard said.
A way to think of the redevelopment is to picture remodeling a kitchen, which is a gathering place for families just like the Rail District is, Howard said.
“[The final result] will be so beautiful, so exciting, like the best new marble countertops and cabinets, right?” she said.
