Before Stonebriar: Frisco's rise to thriving success

"At the time we had two grocery stores, a dry goods store and a western wear store, a couple of hamburger joints, and that was just about it," he said. "We knew that if we got a mall in Frisco, it would be something that would bring people here and generate, of course, the sales taxes we needed."

So they fought for it. Frisco had fewer than 7,000 residents in 1988 and was going up against Plano, a sort of Goliath to their David, that was already experiencing significant growth. Legend has it that after a 12-year battle between the cities, it was the wife of the development company's CEO who helped seal the deal for Frisco, noting the higher elevation of the Frisco site and the additional access created by the Dallas North Tollway. (Warren sent her the largest flower arrangement the city secretary could find.)

The impact of the 1.6 million-square-foot regional mall's August 2000 opening was immediate.

"It was a struggle back then to get people to talk to us; it was almost like the world ended at 121," Purefoy said. "The mall put the seal on us that, 'Frisco is a legitimate player now, and you can feel safe making investments north of 121.'"

Building on Stonebriar

As sales tax revenue began pouring into Frisco, so, too, came more development, including retail and restaurants, offices and rooftops.

"The growth took a quantum leap once the mall opened," Purefoy said.

Frisco added more than 28,600 housing units alone over the next 10 years while the population increased by 247 percent to 116,989 by the 2010 Census. The city now describes it as an ongoing cycle—the influx of residents helps attract additional commercial development, which in turn provides well-paying jobs close to home for residents.

Well-paying jobs mean greater disposable incomes, which fuel the retail and restaurant industry, providing millions in sales taxes to supplement property taxes and maintain a modest tax rate for residents and business owners.

Frisco's median household income jumped 33.5 percent between 1999 and 2011, and the city that had only a handful of options before the Stonebriar deal now boasts more than 8 million square feet of retail and dining. It also now has 12 hotels, when there were none in 1999.

Getting in the game

Through a combination of vision, planning and patience, a new industry has taken root in Frisco. In 1996, former Mayor Kathy Seei and the council met for a work session focused on a vision for Frisco.

"One of the big things that came out of that work session was that the Council wanted to attract a minor league baseball team," Purefoy said.

But attracting a minor league team was a new challenge. Purefoy mentioned the idea in a meeting focused on where to locate the next Frisco City Hall.

Ultimately the city ended up in talks with Southwest Sports Group, which was open to a minor league affiliate for the Texas Rangers and needed a new practice facility for the Dallas Stars.

A deal with Southwest Sports Group was struck in 2001, and the Frisco RoughRiders began playing at the $22.7 million Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark (now Dr Pepper Ballpark) in 2003 while the Dallas Stars began practicing at the $27 million Dr Pepper Arena.

Only two years later, the $80 million Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Complex—now Toyota Stadium—opened, offering a home for the FC Dallas major league soccer team (another project that had been turned down by a neighboring city's council).

And in the last four years the city has welcomed Fieldhouse USA, a $17 million indoor sport facility, and announced the $115 million deal that will bring the Dallas Cowboys world headquarters and practice facility to Frisco.

"Most cities go the path of a meteor—they burn, brighter and brighter, and then they burn out," Purefoy said. "We're hopeful that the sports venues will help bring that extra energy and vitality that might not otherwise be here."

Looking Forward

The same year Stonebriar opened, the Frisco City Council approved a 20-year roadmap for the city's development built on the original 1992 master plan and the fast-developing vision for Frisco's significant acreage.

"We looked more at quality of life issues this time [in 2000], realizing how large we were going to be," Seei said. "So our goal was, how do you keep that great sense of community when you're a large city?"

That challenge continues to drive staff and city leaders today, and the now long-established focus on family-friendly venues and development, and the fostering of a live-work-play community, is expected to continue driving growth for years to come.

"I once made a speech to the City Council — there was some discussion of changing the name of Frisco from a city to a town — and I ended that speech by saying that I would like for Frisco to remain a 'city' with the heart of a town," said Warren, who admits even he has been wowed by Frisco's development since penning the Stonebriar deal. "That feeling cannot be bought, and I think as long as Frisco stays a city with the heart of a town, we'll be in good shape."