The MCDC board of directors approved nearly $7 million in grant funding contributions to a number of projects across the city at a Feb. 27 meeting, with the largest sum awarded dedicating $4 million to infrastructure work for the Cannon Beach Surf Park development.
The specifics
The project grant program enables the organization to contribute funding to initiatives that will support quality-of-life projects in the community, the MCDC website states.
Eligible projects include parks and open space improvements; sporting, entertainment, recreation and community facilities; projects related to the creation and retention of jobs; low-income housing projects; infrastructure improvements for new and expanding business enterprises; and the construction of airport and mass-transit facilities.
The board awarded the grants after hearing presentations from each applicant regarding the project and its potential impact on the community at a Jan. 23 meeting. Awarded project grants include:
- $4,000,000 to Cannon Development Company Texas, LLC for infrastructure improvements to the site of the future Cannon Beach Surf Park project
- $1,500,000 to Invited Clubs for infrastructure and site improvements, including stabilizing erosion, at TPC Craig Ranch
- $970,000 to Hugs Cafe for infrastructure costs related to the development of a new Hugs Cafe headquarters facility at 803 Green Street, McKinney
- $411,455 to Habitat for Humanity Collin County for construction costs of 10 townhomes at the organization’s Cotton Groves development
- $31,475 to the Collin County History Museum to cover the cost of purchasing equipment and material for preserving and displaying historical artifacts
- $25,481 to Chestnut Square Heritage Village for site improvements and foundation work to stabilize the Dulaney Cottage, a historic home in the village
- $20,000 to the McKinney Parks Foundation for an all-terrain vehicle and attachable trailer to be used for trail improvement projects
The Cannon Beach project, a $200 million mixed-use project that will feature a 150-key resort-style hotel and 3-acre surfing lagoon, received a $4 million project grant that will fund infrastructure work on the site.
The surf lagoon will range from three- to 10.5-feet in depth and feature a variety of waves, developer Cole Cannon said. Other water features in the development include a 17-foot-deep cliff diving pool and a continuous wave pool. The beach adjacent to the wave will be open to the public and offer a range of activities and access to amenities, with admission fees associated for access to the beach and surfing, he said.
“We are first and foremost a beach that also has surfing. That’s where it becomes a place where grandma and grandchild and parents can all enjoy the place without the feat of those pesky stingrays and sharks,” Cannon said.
The project, which is planned for a 35-acre site on SH 121 and Stacy Road, will also include 105,000-square-feet of flex space with planned entertainment uses such as a movie theater, bowling and multi-level go kart track, according to a presentation at the meeting. The development will also feature 35,000-square-feet of retail space, restaurants and more.
“It’s not just a beach club, it’s going to be a true destination that’s going to bring a lot of people to McKinney,” MCDC board member David Riche said at the Feb. 27 meeting.
Diving in deeper
The $1.5 million granted to Invited Clubs will be used to stabilize erosion at a creek within the TPC Craig Ranch golf course in McKinney.
The club and golf course was built in 2004 by David Craig, and acquired by Invited Clubs in 2019. The organization launched a three-year, $12 million renovation project at the facility in 2024, which will bring various modern upgrades to the club and also include regrassing the golf course.
The course has hosted a number of professional golf events and is currently the host of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament, which impacts McKinney through hotel stays, jobs created, and direct and indirect spending, according to the presentation. The event has been held there since 2021, and city officials are looking to retain the event for another eight years.
The creek erosion repair project will enable the Byron Nelson event to remain at the course, said Frank Merkel, the senior vice president of operations for Invited Clubs. The work on the project began in January and is expected to be completed by the end of April.
“If not for the Byron [Nelson], this is a private club that is managed by a private corporation and should have private investment, and the reason it makes sense for us to invest in it is because the Byron brings so much ancillary benefit to the city,” MCDC board member David Kelly said at a Jan. 23 meeting.
MCDC board members approved grant funding for the project with the stipulation that the grant is dependent on the event organizers coming to an agreement that would keep the golf tournament in McKinney through 2033.
One more thing
The board also considered a request to contribute $30 million in grant funding to the commercial passenger service terminal expansion at McKinney National Airport.
A presentation at the January meeting detailed the funding request, which includes the MCDC potentially providing $30 million in interim financing that would be paid back through federal transportation infrastructure loans. The request is expected to be considered for action at a joint meeting with McKinney City Council and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation board on March 18.
