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Grand Park progress moving forward
Though the final plan isn't complete, Grand Park is set to take up about 275 acres and include many unique topographic features. Photo courtesy of the city of Frisco.
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
Grand Park progress is moving ahead, as the city of Frisco expects to begin construction on the proposed $23 million project sometime in mid-2014.
The 275-acre park is envisioned as being a regional attraction that can host a variety of events, such as festivals to concerts. When the park is completed -- it will be constructed in phases -- there will be enough parking to hold about 12,000 people for events.
Dudley Raymond, the parks and recreation department's planning and business manager, said the park will help direct people to the center of the city, as it will be located between the Dallas North Tollway and Legacy Parkway, north of Stonebrook Parkway.
That playground will emphasize many geographical features planned for the area, such as a small river and a hill children can climb up to get a better view of the park.
The river will fit with a major aspect of the park, as a large lake will also be built during the first phase. Park attendees will have access to a visitor center and boat house at the south end of the lake.
Another key feature of the park will be an expansive festival green with a performance stage for major events. In addition to concerts, that area could also be potentially used for events such as a balloon festival, Raymond said.
Raymond updated the city council on the progress of the park at a workshop on Tuesday, where city council members were clearly excited about the attractions the park could bring.
There's good reason for that excitement, as the planning of Grand Park has been ongoing since 2006, when the city acquired the land with funds from that year's bond election.
"When we acquired this land, we were looking at the potential for a regional park," said Rick Wieland, the parks and recreation department's director. "Being 275 acres, it's certainly much bigger than our community parks, which are typically 75 to 100 acres in size."
Because of the size, the logistics of planning many kinds of events are already being looked at.
A potential 5K route, for instance, has been mapped out in an effort to ease some of the stress on Frisco Square -- which hosts multiple 5K races throughout the year -- as the city continues to grow.
Structures inside the park are being considered, but right now the parks and recreation department is primarily concerned with getting the layout and topography determined, Raymond said.
Many key decisions regarding the area surrounding the park have yet to be made as well. A plan for future development at Legacy Drive, across where the lake will be, has yet to be decided.
"Right now the city hasn't made any decision on what will happen on that side of the lake," Raymond said. "We're still in the early phases and trying to see what would best fit in that area. It may end up being an entertainment district or restaurants, but it could also be a corporate campus, we just aren't that far along yet -- but those decisions are coming in time."
When the park is made, it will be clearly visible from the Dallas North Tollway, which could help point traffic toward whatever ends up being developed by Legacy Drive.
If everything goes according to plan, the first portion of Grand Park would be completed in about 18 to 24 months. Plans for the continued expansion of the park would continue to be formulated based on the city's needs.
"This park is meant to grow with the city," Raymond said. "So it may take a while for everything to be built, but there will still be plenty of attractions available while that's happening. We can dream big, so this will be a big attraction for people all over the region."
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