Four of the 22 city-owned properties are being targeted for possible redevelopment, which were identified in a presentation given by Executive Director of Development Services Michael Quint during a Jan. 24 council work session. These sites include the current city hall, the development services building and two neighboring parking lots.
City services are expected to transition to the new city hall that is currently under construction in late 2024, leaving the existing buildings unoccupied. The properties total about 4.6 acres and have a total assessed value of about $3.2 million, according to the presentation.
Options presented by city staff included retaining the properties, selling the properties or redeveloping the sites through a partnership between the city and a private developer. The council expressed interest in the partnership option, noting the process would allow the council to consider community input throughout the process.
“We're able to kind of be that liaison between public input and ... have a role in determining what gets built and developed,” McKinney Mayor George Fuller said.
The properties are currently part of the McKinney Town Center zoning district, which would allow a variety of potential uses if they are redeveloped. These uses include residential, hotel, office, restaurant, personal service and more, according to the presentation. Multiple community members at the meeting advocated for the development of a parking garage on one of the identified sites.
“We need to put this back in taxable property. I see this thing being bulldozed and put in a hotel here. I think downtown needs a nice hotel that will bring lots of business [and] help businesses around here,” Mayor Pro Tem Rainey Rogers said. “There's lots of ideas that you could do with these properties, but I don't think there's anybody on the council that just wants to open it up and just sell it and not have the control.”
The council intends to pursue additional community feedback about the potential uses for the site, according to the meeting. City staff will also pursue appraisals to determine fair market value of the sites as well as consultants that could provide insight on market conditions, according to the presentation.
