Frisco: Urban Land Institute + "Grand Park"

[CTroyMathis]

(A few days late on posting the article... I wonder what came up.)



ULI to discuss Frisco open land project (http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13758436&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=528197&rfi=6)
By: RICK MANN 01/15/2005

Frisco is drawing attention from Washington, D.C. these days.
A think tank from the nation's capital is sending down a team of consultants from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to present a series of ideas for shaping 600 acres of undeveloped land located in the "heart" of Frisco. The undeveloped acreage runs along Stewart Creek, which is one of five major creeks in Frisco.
The seven consultants with ULI come from six different states and bring expertise in housing, environmental issues, architecture, landscape, finance, water resources, development, real estate and urban design.
The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. today at the Frisco Senior Center at 6670 Moore Street in Frisco Square.
The City of Frisco is about 30-percent developed. As Frisco continues to develop, city leaders and staff are promoting "smart growth" for the 600 acres, which will include a "Grand Park" concept. City leaders and staff envision retail, residential and commercial "land uses" being "mixed" throughout the area which, they hope, will result in a pedestrian friendly, vibrant downtown that will feature unique architecture and compliment surrounding developments.
Frisco is looking to ULI team members to provide a "fresh look" at the city and recommend new ideas and ways for future development.

[texman]

Frisco might actually do something right. I wish Mckinney would jump on the smartgrowth bandwagon.

[drumguy8800]

How horribly ironic.

[rantanamo]

Some of their plans really are nice. Outside of them they are typical suburban and as annoying as Arlington's Mayor when it comes to the Cowboys. They should be smarter though. They've had the benefit of watching others make mistakes. They are still making connectivity and transportation mistakes though.

[texman]

Some of their plans really are nice. Outside of them they are typical suburban and as annoying as Arlington's Mayor when it comes to the Cowboys. They should be smarter though. They've had the benefit of watching others make mistakes. They are still making connectivity and transportation mistakes though.
Very true about the transportation. Since commuter railis way off and light rail doesn't have the right of way up there, I could see some BRT going in from the Frisco Urban Center all the way down the tollway with stops along the way to DTD.

[warlock55]

Frisco might actually do something right. I wish Mckinney would jump on the smartgrowth bandwagon.
Well you all do have that Craig Ranch project.

[texman]

Well you all do have that Craig Ranch project.
Yeah, but its on SH121 when it could be near downtown Mckinney. Mr. Craig just wants to look good. Not for the the "helping the environment, way of life" type thing.

[psukhu]

They are still making connectivity and transportation mistakes though.

What are the specific mistakes?

[psukhu]

Consultants to city: Think big for land

'Grand park' could include university, housing, stores, trails

12:36 AM CST on Saturday, January 15, 2005

By STELLA M. CHÁVEZ / The Dallas Morning News

From sports facilities to a large mall, some say Frisco has it all.

But if it really wants to set itself apart from other rapidly growing cities, it must do more, a panel of planning experts said Friday.

It should create something on the scale of New York City's Central Park – or larger.

If it doesn't, "you run the risk of ... [another city] producing a better product," said Richard Burke, one of seven visiting members of the Urban Land Institute, based in Washington, D.C. "You have such an opportunity to be different."

The city decided late last year to hire the nonprofit research institute for $110,000. The goal: to get advice on developing 600-plus acres of prime real estate between Legacy Drive and Dallas Parkway, from just north of Main Street south to Stonebrook Parkway. Stewart Creek cuts through the property.

The panel's recommendation: an ambitious plan to create an 850-acre "grand park" that could include a university, hospital, high- and medium-density housing, mixed-use retail and hike and bike trails.

The result would be an attractive urban center that would connect to Frisco Square and old downtown.

"While it may look like a daydream, it is doable," said Rick Weiland, director of parks and recreation.

The panel spent the week touring the city, talking to stakeholders and studying the suggested park site. Its members represented six states and had expertise in housing, environmental issues, architecture, landscaping, financing, water resources, real estate and urban design.

Among the other suggestions was the creation of a 150-acre drainage system that would handle water runoff from up to 1,500 acres of new residential construction.

The city's population, now about 74,000, is expected to grow to about 250,000 by 2020.

The panel looked at cities dubbed "boomburgs" – fast-growing places with more than 100,000 residents that are not the largest city in their metropolitan areas. The consultants said all of those cities had at least three universities, several medical facilities and public transportation.

John Lettelleir, director of planning and development, said such ideas are not set in stone. A lot will depend on whether landowners are willing to work with the city on such a project and where the money would come from.

"They created a vision," he said. "Now it's a matter of stepping back and thinking about it."

The panel said the city must act quickly but acknowledged that the project would take time. It suggested that the city set up guidelines, form a committee and begin talking to land owners.

In the end, it's up to the city to set its own pace, city officials said.

"I think it's a great plan," said Mayor Mike Simpson. "We've just got to figure out how to do it."

E-mail schavez@dallasnews.com

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/frisco/stories/011505dnccofrpark.1dc71.html

[rantanamo]

What are the specific mistakes?
bad grid, bad lights(some horrible intersections) Exclusion from DART, and very seperated zoning. All suburbs should look to Plano on these issues. Say what you want about Plano, but its very efficiently laid out.

[ths71]

I attended the presentation and must say it was very impressive.

From today's Frisco Enterprise.

The ideas, straight from the capital of big thinking and bombast - Washington, D.C. - are to create a verdant heart for the city wrapped around Stewart Creek. An area that could become the site of everything from LEGOLAND to a university campus - with hiking trails, fishing holes and botanical gardens creating a mixture of natural and man-made uniqueness. It's a matter of thinking big, they said - something that is welded into a Texan's DNA.

Big dreams, yes - but unrealistic, no.

"We are not pie-in-the-sky dreamers," said John McIlwain, Senior Resident Fellow at the Urban Land Institute. "We have been out there, working with many cities like yours, and we know what works."

Just before the close of 2004, the Frisco City Council approved a recommendation from the Planning and Development Department to enlist the services of the development think tank to visit the city, look it over and report the potential they found. Sought was advice on how to best use more than 600 acres of wildland around Stewart Creek, between Stonebrook Parkway and Main Street, bisected by the Dallas North Tollway. The study cost $110,000, but could be small investment compared to the potential ULI presented.

The group sent a panel of seven members from California, North Carolina, Georgia and Michigan - each with his own area of expertise - to tour the site, meet with city staffers, landowners and other stakeholders last week. McIlwain said the group conducted at least 50 interviews, and walked the land, battling briars and mud along the way.

The group compared Frisco to other fast-growing suburbs of three cities in the Southwest and West: Aurora, Col. (Denver); Glendale, Ariz. (Phoenix); and Riverside, Ca. (Los Angeles).

The preliminary results of the study, presented to city leaders, residents and the media, took the city's original vision outlined in its award-winning Millennium Plan and raised it to a much larger scale: creating an 850-acre "Grand Park" that would be larger than Manhattan's Central Park (843 acres) - and no less a showpiece.

"We have come up with a vision. You need to come up with your own vision," McIlwain told the mayor, city council members, staff and others in the large audience. "You need to ask yourselves, what is Frisco going to look like when there are 250,000 people here at build-out? We think your future is very exciting and we think this is very doable."

Frisco's current population is almost 75,000 and is projected by demographers to reach a quarter million by 2025.

McIlwain explained that Frisco is in a unique classification, coined by Robert Lang of Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute: a "boomburg."

Lang, an urban scientist and demographer, coined the term to describe fast-growing municipalities on the edge of major cities. Typically, they have a population of 100,000 or more, or such in Frisco's case, are rapidly approaching it. They aren't the largest city in a "Metroplex," but the fastest developing. According to a white paper Lang wrote for the Fannie Mae Foundation in October 2004, there were 53 boomburgs in the United States, with a combined population of more than 9.4 million residents - more than the metropolitan Chicago area, the nation's third largest city.

What Frisco has that makes it truly unique among the boomburgs, the ULI panel said, is it is only about 30 percent developed. Frisco has a unique opportunity, Richard Burke, a ULI marketing and development specialist from Savannah, Ga. said, to decide the city's identity - and build it.

"It is very important to differentiate Frisco from surrounding areas," he said. "Now is the time to identify prime locations for boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, et cetera."

Burke called for a "smart growth" strategy, explaining that means a mix of varying housing types and price models to attract a diverse citizenry. He warned, however, about placing any impediments in the path of development, alluding to city charter amendments proposed by "Take Back Your Rights," without calling the political action group by name.

"You can expect 3,000 new homes to be built per year in Frisco for the near future," Burke said, "But I see two minor stones in the road. The first is getting the land needed for development, and the second are referendums. Any burdens placed on developers here are likely to divert their attention to other areas like McKinney and Denton."

Components of the Grand Park suggested by ULI could include a series of lakes that total more than 150 acres and about 1,500 acres of residential building like along Dallas' Turtle Creek area. There could be 150 acres of riparian or wildlife and wetland preserves.

"We suggest a signature restaurant like Tavern on the Green or the Mansion on Turtle Creek," Burke said. "There could be nature museums, water parks, off-leash dog parks, and a miniature railroad and train recalling Frisco's heritage. There could be a family-oriented theme park like LEGOLAND. All this is a wish list, but it could be included if you choose them."

Burke suggested the city secure the rights to the stretch of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks that run through the city and turn it into a money maker. The city could manage the tracks, and charge fees for its access, he said. They could also be turned into a tourist attraction, creating a local railway like the "Tijuana Trolley" in San Diego.

"The value of park-side property is 30 percent higher than other properties, Burke said. "Imagine the possibilities."

Burke suggested Frisco could attract a four-year university to build a campus in the area, offering Trinity University in San Antonio as an aesthetic example, and Baylor University in Waco as a revenue model.

"Baylor provides about 1 billion per year to the city of Waco," he said. "Frisco should be proactive in contacting universities and get them interested early in the game, instead of waiting for them to come to you."

Bruce Hazzard, the panel's "token Texan" grew up in North Texas, and remembers hunting doves in Frisco fields years ago, he said. Now based in Asheville, North Carolina, the planning and environmental specialist said an ideal scenario sees six to eight acres of parkland for every 1,000 population. Frisco is right on track, he said.

"Frisco has a unique position because it hasn't lost natural areas to development yet like you find in so many other cities," he said. "You can still incorporate them into your overall city design and vision. Wildlife has been pushed out of Richardson and Plano and it has come to Frisco for refuge. Seize this opportunity."

The ULI panel was as gracious in sharing its dream for Frisco as it was handing out compliments. They said they found the city a progressive and forward-thinking place, with the dynamic leadership needed to accomplish a Grand Park type of development.

"What Frisco has done with development is unprecedented," Bauer said. "Frisco is a place I will talk about the rest of my career."

"Frisco is a city of dreamers and this is a dream," Hazzard said. "Passion is what is going to make Frisco what it can be in the future. Be different. Create a legacy for the next generation," he said.

A written report of ULI's findings will be provided to city officials Friday, with a formal report presented to the City Council Feb. 2.

[tamtagon]

Cool if LegoLand opens up. If thought the Metroplex needs another big theme park, why not Frisco?

[rantanamo]

great that they dream big, but necessary?

[drumguy8800]

It's like the world is some giant experiment. One site fails for a reason, move on, improve, move on, improve, move on, improve. It would be nice if we clean up our messes and try again instead of tossing them to the side.

[rantanamo]

250,000 my @$$

If they really want to do all of this, I believe they are truly trying to be the 3rd city in the metroplex. Or 1st.

[psukhu]

bad grid, bad lights(some horrible intersections) Exclusion from DART, and very seperated zoning. All suburbs should look to Plano on these issues. Say what you want about Plano, but its very efficiently laid out.

My opinion goes the other way. :) I think they are learning from Plano when designing their road network. Here’s more info on their master plan: http://maps.ci.frisco.tx.us/

This site allows the public to talk directly to city engineers. I've asked a few questions myself. http://message.ci.frisco.tx.us/discus/default.htm

The zoning is pretty mixed. (I'm looking at property there so I've been going through it with a fine tooth comb) Again, I think they did look at Plano to learn what worked and what didn't work.

They've grown so fast, that they haven't had time to even consider joining DART. I don't think they'll consider joining until the road network is close to being built out. Many of the residents work in the Legacy area, so they aren't feeling the commute crunch yet. I think they’ll have mass transit before Arlington.


The park plan is interesting. I wonder how close this is to reality.

[rantanamo]

the zoning makes the road network inefficient. Its nothing more than typical suburban grouping plan designed to keep residents going to large power centers on the fringes rather than the efficiency of the city itself. Suburban. Again, nothing wrong with it, but nothing genious either.

[ths71]

Actually something like this may be necessary. Frisco will be in an ever increasing competiton with it's neighboring "boomburbs" to lure quality development and businesses to their city. They need something to set themselves apart. McKinny and Denton have historic County Courthouses and relatively vibrant downtown squares. Frisco will never have that. Having a city whose core is comprised of an 850 acre greenbelt park would be pretty special.

[psukhu]

McKinny and Denton have historic County Courthouses and relatively vibrant downtown squares. Frisco will never have that.

Of course they can't have a county courthouse, but they will have a nice downtown (http://www.friscosquare.com/) for a suburb .

[texman]

You know, maybe Frisco will turn out to be something special after all. Don't worry, I'm not like Friscorocks, It just looks like their doing everything right, from the begining. If only they would stop stealing big business.

[rantanamo]

They are doing some great things, but not everything right.

[RuggerAl]

i don't know they are turning the area with Stonebriar and the Rough riders into a flank of downtown it is amazing what they have done and I agree they are doing many things right..

[FriscoRocks]

Creating Expansive Multi-Purpose Park Would Provide Sense of Place in Frisco, ULI Panel Advises Community Officials

For more information, contact Marge Fahey at 202/624-7187; E-mail: mfahey@uli.org

FRISCO, Texas (January 14, 2005) – The creation of a grand multi-purpose park in Frisco could provide a much-needed sense of place for the suburban community, by serving as a central gathering point for recreational, educational and other activities, according to a panel of land use experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

The panel’s recommendations capped a week during which panelists toured the community and met with local government officials, community representatives and stakeholders. Frisco officials sought ULI’s assistance to create development scenarios for the area, and to make recommendations for the creation of an expansive park to provide a unique identity for the city.

“Frisco has an opportunity to create something really unique,” said John McIlwain, panel chair and the senior resident fellow for housing at ULI.

The panel’s recommendations were based on a proposal by city officials to create a park on a 650-acre swath of land in the center of the city. The plan is part of the city’s efforts to accommodate its rapidly expanding growth while conserving land and protecting the environment. (Frisco is projected to grow from its current population of 74,000 to 250,000 by the year 2025.)

The green area of the park will contain 100 acres of developable land and a 150-acre central drainage pond that could handle runoff from up to1,500 acres of new residential construction.

Based on the city’s plan, the ULI panelists recommended that the city purchase additional land around the park, expanding the space to about 840 acres. The park would be a gathering place for the community, with part of it used for a variety of purposes, including a medical facility, a four-year university, private K-12 schools, a visitor center, cultural facilities, and specialty shopping.

The panel’s recommendations envision amenities in the park, such as restaurants, nature centers, botanical gardens, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands preserves, open fields and miles of hiking, biking and walking trails.

In addition, the panel is recommending continuing the park theme to Frisco Square by extending the Stewart Creek trail system under the Dallas North Tollway into the new town now being developed. It also recommends revitalizing Old Town’s Main Street by preserving notable turn-of-the century Texas buildings and bringing in specialty retail, such as art galleries, antique shops and restaurants.

While acknowledging that the park plan is a bold vision, panelists pointed out that “the city of Frisco is up to the challenge.”

Research from The Trust for Public Land shows that parks and open space add economic benefits to a city by enhancing land values, and by contributing to a high quality living environment that will attract businesses to a community.

In addition to McIlwain, other panelists were: Donald L. Bauer, owner and founder, Bauer Planning and Environmental Service, Inc., Irvine, Calif.; Brian D. Boxer, principal, EIP Associates, Sacramento, Calif.; Richard Burke, founder, R.H. Burke & Company, Savannah, Ga.; Bruce Hazzard, director of planning and environmental advocacy, Dolan Pollak & Schram Development Company, Asheville, N.C.; John C. Hewitt, president, The Hewitt Company, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Ralph L. Nunez, president and design principal, Design Team Limited, Southfielde, Mich.; and Nathan Watson, president, Watson Developments, New Orleans.

Panelists commended Frisco officials for exploring alternatives to sprawling growth. “If haphazard growth is allowed, everyone loses, as Frisco will be bypassed and property values will decline as people move on to the next community,” noted panelist Watson.

The panel presented its initial findings today at a briefing at the Frisco Senior Center.

The panel was organized through ULI’s advisory services program, in which the Institute assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate as volunteers on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies. The strength of the program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the knowledge and experience of its prestigious membership, including leading land developers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners and urban designers.

The panel’s work in Frisco is part of ULI’s ongoing efforts to support better grown patterns in suburban communities. The Institute just released a new report, Ten Principles for Smart Growth on the Suburban Fringe, which outlines steps to combat sprawl with more efficient development while conserving open space. The principles, which were used in preparing the panel’s recommendations for Frisco, are:

Create a shared vision for the future, and stick to it;
Identify and sustain green infrastructure;
Remember that the right design in the wrong place is not smart growth;
Protect environmental systems and conserve resources;
Provide diverse housing types and opportunities;
Build centers of concentrated mixed uses;
Use multiple connections to enhance mobility and circulation;
Deliver sustainable transportation choices;
Preserve the community’s character; and
Make it easy to do the right thing.
Copies of the report are available at www.uli.org.

[Columbus Civil]

Frisco continues to amaze. Bravo!

[CTroyMathis]

7 month old related thread:
http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php?t=3445

Edit: Threads merged on 11 Nov 05. . .

[CTroyMathis]

Next seed planted for Grand Park
By Mike Raye, Staff Writer
10/28/2005
Visit: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15474520&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=528197&rfi=6

The city of Frisco completed an agreement last week to purchase 250 acres of woodland between Dallas Parkway and Legacy Drive that will become the heart of Grand Park.

The land, bordered by Stonebrook Parkway on the south, Legacy on the west, Cotton Gin Road on the north, and Dallas Parkway on the west, is a natural watershed along Stewart Creek that has remained wild for at least a century.

The price: $18 million.

The potential benefit to future Frisco generations: priceless.

The purchase was facilitated by the city's Community Development Corp., from the one-half-of-one-percent sales tax.

"We can do all the planning we want on the project, but unless we have the land under control we can't implement that planning," John Lettellier, Frisco Planning and Development Director said.

Just before the close of 2004, the Frisco City Council approved a recommendation from the Planning and Development Department to enlist the services of a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit development think tank, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to visit the city, look it over and report the potential they found. Sought was advice on how to best use more than 600 acres of wildland around Stewart Creek, between Stonebrook Parkway and Main Street, bisected by the Dallas North Tollway. The study cost $110,000.

The group sent a panel of seven members from California, North Carolina, Georgia and Michigan - each with his own area of expertise - to tour the site, meet with city staffers, landowners, and other stakeholders.

"We are not pie-in-the-sky dreamers," John McIlwain, ULI Senior Resident Fellow told the council and others in a large audience gathered at the Frisco Senior Center for a presentation of their findings in January 2005. "We have been out there, working with many cities like yours, and we know what works."

McIlwain said the group conducted at least 50 interviews, and walked the land, battling briars and mud along the way. They saw wildlife and native flora, but mostly potential and promise, he said.

The group compared Frisco to other fast-growing suburbs of three cities in the Southwest and West: Aurora, Col. (Denver); Glendale, Ariz. (Phoenix); and Riverside, Ca. (Los Angeles).

The preliminary results of the study, presented to city leaders, residents, and the press, took the city's original vision outlined in its award-winning Millennium Plan - the master blueprint for Frisco's development - and raised it to a much larger scale: creating an 850-acre "Grand Park" that would be larger than Manhattan's Central Park (843 acres) - and no less a showpiece.

"We have come up with a vision. You need to come up with your own vision," McIlwain told the mayor, city council members, staff, and others in the large audience. "You need to ask yourselves, what is Frisco going to look like when there are 250,000 people here at build-out? We think your future is very exciting and we think this is very doable."

City leaders had to scale back on ULI's suggestion by half, trimming the plans down to about 400 acres. Earlier, the city bought 35 acres east of Dallas Parkway near the former Beal Aerospace building for about $14 million. A possible purchase of additional land could extend the Grand Park from Frisco Square south and westward to the waters of Lake Lewisville.

Plans for the Grand Park area include hike and bike trails, a botanical garden, and a mixture of residential and business development akin to Dallas' Turtle Creek area. There even have been wishful discussions of attracting a four-year university campus to the area in the mold of San Antonio's Trinity University.

"This will make us different from all other cities and give us a jewel right at the heart of Frisco," Mayor Mike Simpson said. "The primary thing is, if we did not lock up that land for the Grand Park now we would never have that opportunity. The land will continue to increase in value, and we had to buy it while we could still afford it."

[texman]

This reminds me of Mckinney's Town Lake project 15 years ago. Just on a much bigger scale.

[OC Dweller]

I heard from a source that some amazing plans are being considered for this park -