The Dallas Express recently caught up with Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney to discuss the highs of 2023 and what he is most looking forward to moving into the new year.
Mayor Cheney’s journey began in 2007 when the real estate business he and his wife Dana own led them into greater downtown involvement, which included attending meetings to learn what was happening in the city. Cheney became a Frisco City Council member that year. He was termed out after serving nine years before becoming mayor.
“A recurring theme that you will hear in Frisco is that as people start getting involved, they get, as Jerry Jones says, ‘the Frisco flu’ and want to continue being more involved and be part of the energy happening here,” Cheney said. “That is how my story started. I was not political in nature, and never did I dream I would one day be the mayor of Frisco.”
Cheney added, “I decided my work was not done. My skillsets are with urban planning and design with my real estate background, and I felt I could lend those skills to help build out the second half of the city.”
He’s been leaning into those skills, marking successes in 2023 thanks to his team and the community’s support.
“It was a monumental year for us,” said Cheney. “This has been our busiest year for the Frisco Economic Development Corporation.”
The City of Frisco kicked off 2023 with the opening of the Frisco Public Library. The library opened in March, giving visitors nearly 160,000 square feet to explore. It had everything from self-checkout to AR/VR holographic computers. According to the city’s press release, “there are 93 wi-fi access points, 210 computers, and 77 screens (flat, touch and projection).”
Shortly after the library’s launch, PGA Frisco opened.
“We hosted our first tournament, which was the Senior PGA, and we’re starting to see the $10 billion-plus of development adjacent to it coming out from the ground, so that will dictate and highlight the northern part of our city,” the mayor said.
Another boon for Frisco was the opening of UNT at Frisco, a 100-acre branch campus.
“They already have roughly 4,000 students now and are already thinking toward a Phase II,” said Cheney. “[The University of North Texas] has been an incredible partner.”
The Universal Kids Resort, located in Frisco, was introduced this month by Universal Destinations & Experiences. This recently closed deal will offer a resort designed for families with young children, ages 3-11, featuring “family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows, unique merchandise, fun food and beverage venues, and character meet and greets,” per a press release. The resort will also boast a 300-room-themed hotel.
“Just a few weeks ago, we officially broke ground on this project for a 2026 opening,” said Cheney.
Looking toward 2024, the mayor pointed to the downtown Rail District, where locals gather to find a mix of businesses, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. “Council has committed to spending upward of $50 million for infrastructure and other projects to kick start our Rail District,” said Cheney.
Another project moving forward is the development of Grand Park, located in the heart of Frisco, which the mayor said residents have been looking forward to for some time.
“[Grand Park] is something the city started acquiring the land for close to 20 years ago,” said the mayor. “The park is a big dream for the city. It is over 1,000 acres, larger than Central Park in New York.”
The mayor anticipates breaking ground on Phase 1 of the project by the end of 2024. However, Grand Park isn’t the only park Frisco will be advancing next year.
“Early next year, we will be breaking ground on the Northwest Community Park, a $40 million park dedicated to uses other than sports fields — hike and bike trails, mountain bike trails, fishing, dog park, and things like that,” said Cheney.
Additionally, the mayor said he dreams of bringing a performing arts center to Frisco.
“We are really working with consultants to develop a plan to bring that project to life,” he said. “We are moving more into that renaissance age where we are getting more and more demand for performing arts, live music, and visual arts. So 2024 will be when we start really leaning into our creative economy.”
The mayor also spoke about the role of diversity in the city.
“We are becoming much more diverse as a community, which is something we are very proud of,” said Cheney. “This brings a new set of demands, and definitely a growing demand for the arts, so this will be a heavy focus in 2024. … We want to continue to do things differently here in Frisco, and that takes political courage. … Frisco is not afraid to be bold.”
“We want to celebrate all of our residents,” added Cheney.
