When the 162-acre Hall Office Park at the Dallas North Tollway and Gaylord Parkway opened in 1997, developer Craig Hall said the view from the office buildings was different from what it is today.

“You would look out of your office and see cows in the pasture,” Hall said.

Now the office park has 16 buildings with 2.2 million square feet of office space and sits just south of the future Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters.

“There’s more employees working at Hall Office Park today then there were citizens living in Frisco when we first bought the property,” Hall said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to wrap your head around; it’s amazing how much change there’s been in Frisco.”

Now a face-lift is being planned for the office park. Hall said there are plans to update the park for its business tenants by adding restaurants, retail space and more. Hall said improvements he wants to do are not under construction as of yet.

It will be probably be about six months before any plans are made.

Future plans include another office building, which will add another 500,000 square feet of office space, putting Hall Office Park at nearly 3 million square feet total.

Hall said the next office building is already designed and ready to be built as soon as the market is ready.

A hotel is planned within Hall Office Park, which Hall said is still under negotiations.

He said he is also looking to enhance the park’s green space. The plans include more walking trails and expanding the fitness facility.

“For the most part we’ve been doing what we had originally planned, but we’re constantly asking ourselves what is important today and how can we bring ourselves to a bigger and better level,” Hall said.

Adding these features to the park, Hall said, are crucial to attract new employees and to retain quality employees.

“Those are the two of the most critical things you can do as a company, and that’s going to be even more true in the next five to 10 years,” Hall said. “In the future I think we’re going to worry about how we’re going to keep our best and talented people happy, and I think one of the ways you do that is having a great environment that people enjoy during work hours.”

“There’s more employees working at Hall Office Park today then there were citizens living in Frisco when we first bought the property.”

—Craig Hall, Hall Office Park developer

Hall Office Park has made an economic impact on Frisco, said Darcy Schroer, Frisco Economic Development Corp. director of marketing.

“Having this kind of quality office park certainly allows [FEDC President Jim Gandy] and our business attraction team and business retention staff to keep companies here,” Schroer said.

One of the park’s tenants, civil engineering firm Cobb, Fendley & Associates Inc., has been in Hall Office Park for seven years. Vice President J. Cal Bostwick said Hall Office Park puts the firm close to its clients, and when travel is required being close to the tollway and having easy access to DFW and Dallas Love Field airports is a plus.

“Hall Office has always strived to provide extra amenities for its tenants,” he said. “Green space, walking paths, water features and artwork make for a unique office setting. Added retail and restaurants will add to the convenience of everything being located in close proximity to our office.”