The joint meeting of McKinney City Council, McKinney Community Development Corp. and McKinney Economic Development Corp. held April 25 included previews of projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Program for the next five fiscal years. Each group also highlighted organizational missions and accomplishments in their presentations.
Planned and proposed projects
- A third library location: City staff is considering a storefront-style third public library location, according to the presentation. The storefront would be more adult-focused and offer services for those who work from home, according to the presentation. This format could be short-term based on future development in north McKinney, including Painted Tree and the proposed Honey Creek Municipal Management District, Assistant City Manager Kim Flom said.
- Apex Centre renovations: Previous plans for an expansion of the recreation center were paused due to market instability but are now being reconsidered, Director of Parks and Recreation Michael Kowski said.
- The Deck Park: City Council members recently identified an inverted deck park design as their preferred option for this project. The city is working with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Texas Department of Transportation to identify funding for the project, which is currently unfunded, City Manager Paul Grimes said.
- Other projects mentioned at the meeting include a new senior center and funding the utility relocations needed for the US 380 bypass and the Spur 399 projects.
The meeting also provided insights on each organization’s contributions to the city’s economic growth and development.
- $749,472,108: The total capital investment for projects that the McKinney Economic Development Corp. was involved in between 2018 to 2023, according to the presentation.
- $206,987,873: The total amount that the McKinney Community Development Corp. has issued in project funding between 1996 and 2022, according to the presentation. That amount does not include the $16.7 million invested in the new Tupps Brewery site in east McKinney or the $3.2 million loan used for the PSA McKinney project.
- $165 million: The city has only issued about $165 million of the $350 million approved by voters in 2019. Some of the projects that bond money has funded so far include the new city hall, a purchase of 230 acres of parkland in the Painted Tree development and a new public works facility, Chief Financial Officer Mark Holloway said. The remaining funds are dedicated for public safety, parks, public works and streets projects, according to the presentation.
- $498 million: The total cost of major projects currently deemed unfunded in the city’s Capital Improvement Program from fiscal year 2023 to 2027. Some of these projects include airport development and work to the taxiway, a possible new municipal court facility, future fire stations, streets projects and more. The unfunded status for these projects means there is not currently a dedicated or authorized source of funding, Holloway said. “We call them unfunded or to be determined, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that we don’t know where we’re getting our funding. ... It just means we don’t have a dedicated source at the time,” Holloway said.
- Mayor Pro Tem Rainey Rogers recommended monthly reports from both the Economic Development Corp. and the Community Development Corp. to City Council members to promote collaboration.
- McKinney Community Development Corp. President Cindy Schneible noted that supporting affordable housing and parks development are continued goals of the organization. The organization committed $5.5 million to park development over a 10-year period that would end in fiscal year 2025, she said. The board also considered $3.3 million in grant requests for affordable housing at its April 27 meeting and is expected to return decisions on those requests at its next meeting in May.
