Government
BY COLBY FARR & MARY KATHERINE SHAPIRO
Allen, McKinney EDCs launch branding initiative for SH 121
A new branding initiative called 121 North aims to track and spur further economic growth along SH 121 between Allen and McKinney. The Allen and McKinney Economic Development Corps. launched the initiative in May for the SH 121 corridor. The initiative’s goal is to highlight growth and opportunity along the corridor. “It’s yet another example of how reaching across our boundaries to our partners to do something for the region is delivering great results,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael Kowski. The joint initiative includes a dedicated website that serves as a “centralized hub” for developers and businesses, according to a news release. The website features an interactive map that highlights key developments along the corridor. “There’s very few corridors in the entire country that are seeing as much activity as this one stretch of road,” Kowski said. The branding initiative has two purposes, Kowski said. One purpose is to recognize the SH 121 corridor as its own thing. The second was to signal to developers that there is an “intentional plan” for the corridor, he said. “We’ve come to the realization that people see the 121 corridor as its own thing,” he said.
McKinney
ELDORADO PKWY.
Sunset Amphitheater
MEDICAL CENTER DR.
E L D O R A D O P K W Y .
5
121 Commerce Park
GATEWAY BLVD.
COLLIN MCKINNEY PKWY.
STACYRD.
Cannon Beach
JW Marriott
SRT TOLL
Sloan Corners
RIDGEVIEW DR.
5
WEISKOPF AVE.
75
STACYRD.
Kalahari
121
FAIRVIEW PKWY.
The Farm
The Avenue
Allen
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCE: 121 NORTH COMMUNITY IMPACT
Zooming in
Also of note
Stay tuned
Developers and city o cials broke ground on the Cannon Beach surf resort in 2025. The $200 million project’s rst phase is expected to open in mid-2027. The nished product will include a 3-acre surf lagoon, lazy river and a mineral hot springs circuit. The project is being developed by the Can- non Development Group in partnership with the city of McKinney, MEDC and McKinney Community Development Corp.
MEDC owns several properties along the corridor, including 46 acres near the corner of Lake Forest Drive and SH 121. MEDC o cials are in active negotiations with a development group regarding that property, Kowski said. The corporation also owns land next to Hub 121, the future Cannon Beach surf resort and the McKinney National Airport. Owning the land allows city o cials to be more intentional with its development, Kowski said. AEDC President and CEO Dan Bowman said the partnership was a “huge and exciting opportunity.” The branding initiative can serve as a business recruitment tool. “These companies, when they look at a location, they don’t see city borders the way we do,” he said. “The assets and developments and companies that we have between the north and south sides of [SH] 121, when you look at them in whole, are just staggering.”
VanTrust Real Estate announced the 121 Commerce Park project in 2025.
RENDERING COURTESY GSR ANDRADE ARCHITECTS
More than 20 projects are actively under development or being planned along the SH 121 corridor, according to the news release. That includes projects like the 121 Commerce Park industrial development by VanTrust Real Estate. Developers announced the project in 2025. The project could deliver as much as 761,000 square feet of industrial space along the SH 121 corridor. Construction is expected to start this year with delivery expected in 2027, according to the 121 North website.
Cannon Beach, a 35-acre surf resort development, will be located near the corner of Stacy Road and SH 121.
RENDERING COURTESY CANNON BEACH
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MCKINNEY EDITION
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