BY JACOB VAUGHN
The approach
What’s next?
Crews are expected to finish the 4th Street Plaza and parking garage by mid-2026, while the Main Street reconstruction will reach substantial completion by January. The parking garage will have five levels and ground floor retail space where people can set up storefronts with hopes of growing them in the city. The idea is the businesses could start small and move to a larger storefront in the future. “The end result is something we all want, which is to have a healthy, thriving downtown that really represents the heartbeat of our city,” Cheney said.
There are more than 130 businesses in the Rail District as of October, city officials said. The city has worked to support area businesses during the reconstruction project. A gift card program was launched in June to try to increase foot traffic in the area. City staff distributed $50 gift cards as a way to generate foot traffic to local businesses. About 12,000 gift cards were initially printed for the program as a way to generate more business, Assistant City Manager Ben Brezina said. Brezina said the city was using about $500,000 in city funds to print more gift cards and help pay for advertising for The Rail District businesses, which City Council approved in October. About $200,000 is allocated toward allowances for business owners that can help pay for any advertising or promotional expenses. The other $300,000 will fund gift cards to stimulate com- merce downtown. More gift cards were printed in October, Brezina
Rail District numbers 6,000 $50 gift cards
$3,000 advertising assistance for Rail District businesses 130+ businesses in The Rail District as of October
6 businesses opened, 6 closed since January
SOURCE: CITY OF FRISCO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
said. About 1,500 out of 6,000 new gift cards have been printed and disbursed so far. City officials started a digital gift card program where residents can purchase $25-$50 gift cards for use with Rail District businesses. The Frisco Community Development Corporation will match the gift card amount as part of the program.
July 2024
Rail District reconstruction begins
Feb. 3, 2025
Downtown parking garage groundbreaking
January 2026
The context
Rail District reconstruction reaches substantial completion
new practices during ongoing construction. “We changed the way we do business,” said Jack Darovich, Frisco Automotive & Transmission’s vice president of sales. The business now offers shuttles around downtown for customers. Frisco Automotive & Transmission plans to keep these practices in place even after construction is completed in The Rail District.
Balancing the project with how to support area businesses is delicate, Cheney said. The Frisco Chamber of Commerce also launched a receipt race in an effort to help businesses during construction. The receipt race, launched in Sep- tember 2024 and again this May, was an initiative to benefit school parent teacher associations. Some Rail District businesses, such as Frisco Automotive & Transmission, have adapted some
Early 2026
Fourth Street Plaza construction complete
Mid-2026
Rail District parking garage construction complete
SOURCE: CITY OF FRISCO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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