McKinney City Council approves construction on grain silos for new mural

The city of McKinney took another step toward installing a vast new mural on its downtown silos March 22.

The silos are located off of East Virginia and Main streets across Hwy. 5 in downtown McKinney. At a special meeting, the City Council greenlit a contract for construction work to remove an additional structure that is resting atop the silos, called the “doghouse,” said Patricia Jackson, facilities construction manager for the city of McKinney.

“Our doghouse is in really tough shape,” she said to the council. “This needs to come down immediately. It’s a public safety hazard. So I wanted to make sure that we had the opportunity to get in front of you as quickly as we can.”

In addition to the demolition of the doghouse structure, crews will also perform rehabilitation to the silos, Jackson said. Construction costs of $317,650 were approved at the March 22 meeting.

The city has tapped Australian artist Guido van Helten to create the mural on the silos and grain elevator. The project will be funded through a combination of grants, private investment, the McKinney Public Art Fund and the city’s hotel occupancy tax. The Texas Commission on the Arts approved a $90,000 grant in September.

Over the spring, the artist will engage with the community to help design the mural. McKinney residents are encouraged to take the survey here to help the artist craft his work.

Information about the mural will be shared at the city of McKinney’s upcoming East McKinney Community Conversation, set from 5-7 p.m. March 24 at Old Settler’s Recreation Center, 1201 E. Louisiana St. A project timeline, information on van Helten and the community survey are available at www.mckinneytexas.org/silos.