Colleyville City Council approved a professional services agreement with Freese and Nichols Inc. on Feb. 6 to begin the process of developing a new community plaza. The plaza will be located across the street in front of City Hall, at 100 Main St. in the Village at Colleyville.

"Obviously there will be a lot of public interest on this project, and there are a lot of possibilities out there," Colleyville Strategic Services Manager Adrienne Lothery said.

To narrow down this field of possibilities, Lothery said Freese and Nichols will develop three potential concepts for the city plaza for an amount not to exceed $42,947. Freese and Nichols will present these concepts to council on March 6. Lothery said council can choose to work with one option, or council members can take elements from each of the three concepts to create the ideal plaza for the community.

To involve Colleyville residents in the project, a public engagement meeting will be held in March at a date to be determined.

The city council agenda said the purpose of the plaza is to provide a public place for both personal enjoyment and community events. The three different concepts could include items such as a water feature, amphitheater-style seating, various landscaping, and elements that will allow for public gatherings and events such as the Christmas tree lighting and small concerts.

According to the agenda, once the final design is approved council will have the option to enter into a separate agreement with Freese and Nichols to develop construction documents, provide assistance with bidding the project for construction and construction administration.

The plaza project's design work and construction will be funded from the city's Tax Increment Financing Fund. Creation of a plaza was included as a project category in the TIF's Original Project Plan.

“It is exciting," Mayor Richard Newton said. "I’m excited to see those designs.”