City staff, residents, project representatives and local business owners gathered at the McKinney Performing Arts Center for an April 9 open house to hear updates on the downtown redevelopment project.
About the project
The redevelopment effort is focused on four city-owned properties totaling about 4.75 acres that will soon be vacant following the relocation of city staff to the new McKinney City Hall in early 2025.
The properties include the current City Hall, the Development Services building and two adjacent parking lots to the north.
McKinney City Council members declared their intention to redevelop these sites through a public-private partnership in early 2023. Council members selected Fort Worth-based M2G Ventures as the development partner for the project in January.
The conceptual redevelopment plan presented by the firm proposed a mixed-use project featuring multifamily residential, parking structures, a boutique hotel, and open space as well as retail and restaurant space.
Diving deeper
The event featured maps depicting how the proposed elements of the project could be laid out across the four city blocks as well as a presentation from representatives of M2G Ventures.
The uses planned for the project include a hotel, multifamily residential, retail and restaurant spaces, and more.
- Review of parking studies
- Review of the city’s wayfinding plan
- Market studies
- A site investigation report
- Feedback from past public meetings and the McKinney Main Street board
“Charming and quaint is a top priority,” said Amy Castellanos, senior vice president of development for M2G Ventures. “It's not lost on us, and that's what makes McKinney special.”
What they’re saying
Historic Downtown McKinney business owners and community members attended the open house event to learn more about the plans for the project.
Steve Vanlandingham, a commercial property owner and resident of East McKinney, said he liked elements of the proposed development including the hotel.
“I think they’re being very proactive in trying to determine the best use for the lots that they have,” he said.
Vanlandingham said he recommended the team consider incorporating residential spaces that would be for sale, rather than for rent or for lease, into the project.
“They need to have housing that can be purchased ... whether that be [condominiums], flats or townhomes because they will get snapped up like that, even at a high price point,” he said.
Questions asked of the development team included topics such as building heights, parking, traffic flow and demand to fill the proposed retail spaces. The development team said additional details will be available as more work is done on the project.
“Our goal is by ... towards the end of the month, we'll be narrowing in on what those programs schemes are,” Castellanos said. “We'll have a clearer picture of where we're going to land and at that point, we'll be able to share that.”
Stay tuned
Additional public engagement opportunities are expected to be held as work continues on the project, Castellanos said at the event.
The firm is working toward finalizing a development agreement with the city by the end of the year. Following a completed agreement, the project would enter the design phase, and renderings of the project could be available as soon as mid-2025, she said.
More information about the downtown redevelopment initiative can be found on the city’s website.
