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A Dallas-based engineering company that specializes in fire protection is partnering with McKinney to install fire sprinklers across several city blocks in the downtown area.
McKinney City Council members approved a $420,775 contract with Reed Fire Protection Engineering in December to design a fire sprinkler system for each block. Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton said the design phase is expected to occur during most of 2026.
What happened?
Council members approved the contract Dec. 16 after the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 board voted to allocate money for the project the same day. The design phase is funded by money from TIRZ No. 1.
“The desired outcome for this project—number one is a basic 100% fire coverage with fire alarms and fire sprinklers within the design study area,” Shelton said.
The study area he referred to includes nine blocks in downtown McKinney with 104 separate businesses. Some businesses within the area already have fire sprinkler systems, according to Shelton’s presentation.
What’s next?
Design will start with data collection, Shelton said. Reed Fire Protection officials will use lidar sensors to scan 104 separate businesses in order to create floor plans and reflected ceiling plans for each space, according to Shelton’s presentation. Lidar is short for "light detection and ranging" and uses laser light to measure shapes.
The data will be used to create schematic designs with budgetary cost estimates for each block in the study area.
Design is expected to last nine to 10 months, Shelton said. City officials will return to the TIRZ No. 1 board with budgetary cost estimates once they’re ready to move forward with construction, he said.
“What we hope to do is get some blocks, some early wins, where we can get some designs completed in advance so we can move forward with construction,” Shelton said.
