Grocery store, residential development slated for McKinney, Prosper border

A grocery store, single family homes, a multifamily development and other commercial uses are planned for a site in north McKinney, along the Prosper border.

Project officials requested the site be rezoned to allow for the project, located on the south side of FM 1461, or Frontier Parkway in Prosper, at Custer Road.

The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a zoning change for the project at a Feb. 11 meeting, but final action on the item will come from the McKinney City Council.

The specifics

The 127-acre site, owned by Haggard Rhea Mills LLC, currently has a Planned Development zoning designation that would allow for all of the proposed uses, except for multifamily development, according to a presentation at the meeting.

The requested zoning is also a Planned Development zoning type, with a different distribution of the land uses across the site. The zoning request, if approved, would also allow for multifamily development on a portion of the site, city documents state. City staff recommended approval of the zoning change.

According to city documents, the proposed zoning would include:

• About 34 acres of land for commercial uses
• Nearly 11 acres of land for multifamily development
• About 79 for single family residential development, with a maximum of 300 homes

David Palmer, executive vice president of development for retail real estate services firm Weitzman, said the rezoning request would accommodate the development of a commercial project anchored by a grocery store at the southeast corner of FM 1461 and Custer Road.

The grocery store brand is expected to be announced this summer, Palmer said.

Palmer also noted that the commercial project would be developed first and could break ground later this year pending site plan approval, with both residential use types following. Preliminary plans for the multifamily project outline a three- to four-story development with about 300 units, he said, and the single family homes will be developed by a major developer that has not yet been determined.

More specific project details are expected to be determined if the project reaches the site plan stage, following approval of the zoning.

“We’re coming here with a grocer-anchored development because of the phenomenal amount of single family residential that’s coming south of this site,” Palmer said. "Retail is driven by rooftops, and the rooftops are coming."

What they’re saying

Four residents of an adjacent neighborhood spoke at the meeting in opposition of the project, noting concerns regarding the project, specifically in relation to the multifamily use.

Kari Willis, a Prosper resident in a neighborhood adjacent to the project, said the proposed multifamily development is a “mismatch” for the existing community.

“The existing ordinance was designed to support a balance of resident and commercial spaces,” Willis said. “The addition of high density multifamily is just not consistent with the land use, which primarily consists of single family residential in the area.”

Willis also said the project would place additional strain on infrastructure as well as local schools. Other residents cited concerns related to increased traffic congestion and strain on emergency services in the area.

Commission member James Craig said the project is a “good plan," noting the proximity to major arterial roads and the balance of commercial to non-commercial uses in the proposed zoning.

“It’s not a small feat to get a major grocer that far north. Impressive,” Craig said.

Looking ahead

McKinney City Council members will consider the rezoning request for the project at a March 4 meeting.

Palmer said that, pending zoning and other city approvals, the commercial development could open as soon as late 2026 or early 2027.