PAYING FOR PARKS $
The McKinney Parks and Recreation Department is funded by a variety of sources that help to create and maintain park facilities.
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS
LOCAL SALES TAX
McKinney voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 1996 that would fund “quality of life” improvements in the community, according to the parks department’s website. The funds are collected by the McKinney Community Development Corp. and committed to the parks department annually.
For every 33 houses or apartment units built, residential developers are required to donate 1 acre of land or the cash equivalent to the parks department, as required by the city’s parkland dedication requirements.
2019 BOND FUNDS
Of the $350 million in bond funds approved by McKinney voters in 2019, $91 million was committed to the parks department.
GRANTS
The department has recently received grants from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Collin County to help fund various projects. A recent grant from Collin County totaled about $250,000 to be used for trail enhancements.
“OUTDOOR LIVING AND OPEN SPACES ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ANY COMMUNITY.” GEORGE FULLER, MCKINNEY MAYOR
Wishing you and your loved ones
Peace & Happiness this holiday season and in the coming year.
complex are meant to meet growing demand and provide enhanced facili- ties for both locals and visitors, accord- ing to the release. The renovations will also establish the facility as one of the best soccer complexes in the area, Kowski said. He also said at a Nov. 17 McKinney Community Development Corp. meeting that the facility may put McKinney on a “short list” of places that can help support 2026 World Cup efforts in the metroplex. James Craig said the vision for the soccer complex has always been “feets in cleats and heads in beds.” Craig is the president of Craig International, a real estate brokerage, development and consulting company, whose founder developed McKinney’s Craig Ranch community. “The soccer fields through the years have driven hotel occupancy and restaurants in and around Craig Ranch. Now with District 121 coming on line, which also has a hotel and restaurants, we believe the soccer fields will con- tinue to drive business and sales tax to the city,” Craig said. The project is funded by the 2019 bond election as well as contributions from residential developers, according to the release. Creating a new tennis center Construction is nearing completion on a new $12 million indoor tennis com- plex at Gabe Nesbitt Community Park that is expected to open in early 2023.
The 55,000-square-foot facility, located at 7001 W. Eldorado Parkway, is being built next to The Courts of McKinney, the existing 23 outdoor tennis courts at the park. In addition to six indoor courts, the new complex will have training rooms, administra- tive offices, locker rooms and a mez- zanine for viewing matches on the second floor. The facility will be man- aged by sports facility management company Impact Activities, Kowski said. He also said McKinney residents and members of the facility will have priority access for reserving courts at the facility. “We think this will position us as having the premier [public] ten- nis facility in the state,” Kowski said about the project in a presentation at a Nov. 1 council work session. The project was partially funded by a 50% matching grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Local Park Grant Program as well as the 2019 bond election and residential developer contributions. Once the indoor com- plex is complete, the park will have 29 tennis courts, and Kowski expects the facility to host various events and tournaments. “This will really allow us to provide tennis and pickleball … 365 [days in] all weather,” Kowski said.
Merry Christmas
from your friends at
McKinney Craig Ranch 6401 S. Custer Rd. McKinney, Texas (972) 569-8301
McKinney Redbud 1700 N. Redbud Blvd. McKinney, Texas (972) 548-3010
FirstUnitedBank.com
Member FDIC.
Equal Housing Lender. NMLS# 400025.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
© 2022 First United Bank. All rights reserved.
29
MCKINNEY EDITION • DECEMBER 2022
Powered by FlippingBook