Meet The Mix

The incentive agreement gave deadlines for each piece of the first phase of The Mix’s construction, including infrastructure, residential units, office space and multiple retail and restaurant spaces.

“The phasing that’s shown in the development agreement is the outline of how things are going to go,” said Tim Campbell, head of development for The Mix. “Obviously, we aim to beat the timelines.”

The entire project will “truly be a walkable community” with park space, an event lawn and more in an 8-acre central park, Campbell said.

“What we’re creating here in Frisco is more than just another development,” Campbell said.

Plans for the site include a new grocery store. In some versions of the original plans for The Mix, the store was listed as a Whole Foods.

Representatives with Whole Foods did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

“There’s going to be an upscale grocery store here,” Campbell said. “The people of Frisco are going to be very happy about it.”

The setup

Before The Mix, the corner of Lebanon Road and Dallas Parkway was expected to become Wade Park, a mixed-use development that broke ground in 2014 and was abandoned in 2017 after a series of financial issues.

“This piece of land has been a troubled spot for Frisco for years and we are happy to create something beautiful and useful here, delivering what the Frisco community has long awaited,” Campbell said in a Jan. 16 news release.

Structures left behind from Wade Park include a pit twice the size of the Ford Center nicknamed “the hole” by Frisco residents.

The hole was the start of an underground parking garage, which The Mix’s incentive agreement requires developers to finish.

“When I’d be asked about this project, I would say, ‘Doing a subterranean garage is hard,’” Cheney said. “That’s why it’s rarely done and so that’s part of what made this project so difficult. But the final story of The Mix will be positive.”

Zooming out

Campbell said they are already going through the pre-leasing process for multiple tenants.

“We have leases for the retail in Phase 1 already executed,” he said. “We’re working on office leases as well, so to some degree it gets pre-leased, the buildings get built and then very quickly, shortly thereafter, it gets occupied.”

The amenities at The Mix will not only be a benefit for residents but also companies, Jason Ford, Frisco Economic Development Corporation President, said at the groundbreaking.

“We are running out of office space quickly,” he said. “So we’re excited about the first phase here.”

Once open, The Mix will join several mixed-use developments across the city. Frisco will need 2 million square feet of office space available to keep up with demand, Ford said in an email.

“As employers are seeking ideal locations in the country to attract and retain the best talent, Frisco offers amenities that few cities can match,” he said.

Developments like The Mix are "a vital part" of Frisco's economic growth, said Christal Howard, president and chief executive officer of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, in an emailed statement.

"Every new project strengthens our local economy by attracting visitors, new businesses, and top talent to our city," Howard said. "The Mix will offer unique amenities and experiences that set it apart, reinforcing Frisco’s reputation as a dynamic and forward-thinking community. Like so many others in Frisco, I drive by this site daily, and to visibly see progress will be great—it’s a sign of the exciting growth happening in our community.”

Going forward

Contractors had already begun demolishing the former Wade Park buildings in the days before The Mix’s groundbreaking ceremony.

One of the biggest pieces of The Mix is the 3,000-space underground parking garage pit, which must be drained of all the water it has been collecting, Campbell said.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen in there, but there are many millions of gallons of water in there,” he said.

Construction on other parts will start sooner. Infrastructure will take around a year with the buildings being constructed around the same time as developers work west to east, Campbell said.

"We're just very excited to have gotten to this point and we're ready to move forward," Campbell said.