Instead, the city and school district will build two separate facilities
On August 11th, the city of Frisco, Frisco ISD and Hall Park announced that they will be going separate ways in an effort to develop the arts and development center and build separate facilities.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the Frisco City Council voted unanimously in June 2021 to approve the development of 162 acres on the Dallas North Tollway at Gaylord Parkway for an entertainment center and park, which will seat more than 1,000 and has an estimated cost of $114 million. Plans for the public-private partnership include a multi-story parking garage, a five-acre Klyde Warren Park-inspired park with a playground, office space and amenities. permission. (If you missed it, you can read the local profile of the center here.)
But since then, things have taken a turn for the worse. In January 2022, the partnership brought together experts to conduct a feasibility study, spatial analysis and review the needs of the community’s technical organizations. In a new press release, officials announced that Frisco ISD will part ways and move forward with building a visual arts center on land the district already owns. In the meantime, the city of Frisco and the Hall Group along with the city’s Community Development Corporation will continue to study the construction of the world-class technology center.
According to an official statement, the split is the result of each partner’s unique priorities, stakeholder responsibilities and cost concerns. For FISD, the priority is to build a center with a student-first focus, while for the city association and the Hall Association, the main concern is to create a community and business center.
René Archambault, Frisco ISD School Board President said in an official statement, “We share this goal of expanding the arts community in Frisco, and we hope to help shape that future by increasing opportunities for young people in the arts. ” . “Community investment in technology education will continue in our community for generations.”
“From the needs of our various arts and community groups to the dream of bringing Broadway to Frisco, the need for art has never been greater,” said Mayor Jeff Cheney. “As such, I am more confident than ever that Frisco can support a premier theater center that benefits the entire region. While this partnership is changing direction, the county remains the city’s most valued partner. “
In 2018, voters approved a FISD consolidation package that included $43 million for a 1,250-seat fine arts facility with gallery space, instructional training and office space. The facility will double the district’s current audience capacity and will provide students with opportunities for more collaboration on major projects across 75 campuses.
