McKinney staff outline paused plans to redevelop 4.75 acres of city-owned downtown land
August 07, 2025 | McKinney, Collin County, Texas
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Michael Quint, executive director of development services, told the Historic Preservation Advisory Board on Aug. 7 that the city is revisiting plans for about 4.75 acres of city-owned property in the northern portion of McKinney's historic downtown.
Quint said the four tracts under review include the former Development Services building and the old City Hall, several vacant lots and accessory parcels. He described prior studies and proposals that ranged from loft-over-retail and office/retail to a hotel with meeting space, and said the city paused the redevelopment effort in May after roughly two years of outreach and analysis.
The update matters because the parcels are in the McKinney Town Center form-based zoning district and sit inside the historic downtown: decisions about reuse, demolition and any deed restrictions could affect the district's character, parking needs and daytime activity in the core.
Quint outlined what staff has learned and the options now on the table. He said past market and planning work suggested a mix of uses across the sites: one prior proposal envisioned about 139 hotel rooms with roughly 5,000 square feet of meeting space; another combined two lots with roughly 239 multifamily units in a stepped 4–5 story configuration. Quint said the 2023 appraisal values for individual tracts ranged roughly from $1,000,000 to $2,600,000 (land only), and that the properties are all subject to the same form-based zoning rules identified in the town-center master plan.
Quint said the City Council has indicated a preference for development that "activates downtown" on weekdays — naming hotel and office uses as possibilities to increase daytime foot traffic — and that the council still treats the project as a priority. He added that, in his conversations, he has not heard council support for selling a parcel “as is” without controls; he said any sale would likely include deed restrictions or clawbacks to preserve some local control over uses.
On regulatory and policy issues, Quint told the board that multifamily uses are permitted in the form-based code that covers the parcels, and he noted — according to his presentation — that "Senate bill 8 40 does allow multifamily or mixed use uses to be constructed anywhere," while cautioning the existing downtown code already allows many of those uses.
Quint said the former Development Services building and old City Hall are planned for demolition in early 2026, and that staff is working with a consultant to resolve how to handle an existing historic marker on one of the sites; he said staff hopes to have a path forward by September or early October. He added that horizontal CIP work (water, wastewater, roadways) is expected to begin in early 2026 and run about 12–18 months. The council and staff are also discussing a structured parking facility on the southwest corner of Hunt Street and Kentucky Street that Quint said could provide a minimum of 250 spaces and re-orient Central Park to the east to better front Kentucky Street for activation.
Quint emphasized there are no finalized designs or procurement decisions yet. He listed a range of potential next steps the council is considering: developing with a city-selected partner now, selling with restrictions, partnering with existing development entities such as MEDC or MCDC, or holding the property for later development. Quint said he will coordinate with the city manager’s office and expects additional public meetings and briefings to occur as a path forward is developed.
Board members who commented during the meeting urged careful attention to the historic fabric and aesthetics of downtown. One board member said they were concerned at the suggestion — reported from the council discussion — that the city might consider selling parcels "as is," and asked how state legislation might affect local controls; Quint reiterated the code context and said the council had not indicated a desire to abandon land-use controls. Another board member recommended emphasizing architecture that fits the existing downtown character. Quint said he would relay board feedback to the council.
Quint closed by saying staff will continue outreach to the council and the public and will return with more detailed proposals as they are developed.
Quint said the four tracts under review include the former Development Services building and the old City Hall, several vacant lots and accessory parcels. He described prior studies and proposals that ranged from loft-over-retail and office/retail to a hotel with meeting space, and said the city paused the redevelopment effort in May after roughly two years of outreach and analysis.
The update matters because the parcels are in the McKinney Town Center form-based zoning district and sit inside the historic downtown: decisions about reuse, demolition and any deed restrictions could affect the district's character, parking needs and daytime activity in the core.
Quint outlined what staff has learned and the options now on the table. He said past market and planning work suggested a mix of uses across the sites: one prior proposal envisioned about 139 hotel rooms with roughly 5,000 square feet of meeting space; another combined two lots with roughly 239 multifamily units in a stepped 4–5 story configuration. Quint said the 2023 appraisal values for individual tracts ranged roughly from $1,000,000 to $2,600,000 (land only), and that the properties are all subject to the same form-based zoning rules identified in the town-center master plan.
Quint said the City Council has indicated a preference for development that "activates downtown" on weekdays — naming hotel and office uses as possibilities to increase daytime foot traffic — and that the council still treats the project as a priority. He added that, in his conversations, he has not heard council support for selling a parcel “as is” without controls; he said any sale would likely include deed restrictions or clawbacks to preserve some local control over uses.
On regulatory and policy issues, Quint told the board that multifamily uses are permitted in the form-based code that covers the parcels, and he noted — according to his presentation — that "Senate bill 8 40 does allow multifamily or mixed use uses to be constructed anywhere," while cautioning the existing downtown code already allows many of those uses.
Quint said the former Development Services building and old City Hall are planned for demolition in early 2026, and that staff is working with a consultant to resolve how to handle an existing historic marker on one of the sites; he said staff hopes to have a path forward by September or early October. He added that horizontal CIP work (water, wastewater, roadways) is expected to begin in early 2026 and run about 12–18 months. The council and staff are also discussing a structured parking facility on the southwest corner of Hunt Street and Kentucky Street that Quint said could provide a minimum of 250 spaces and re-orient Central Park to the east to better front Kentucky Street for activation.
Quint emphasized there are no finalized designs or procurement decisions yet. He listed a range of potential next steps the council is considering: developing with a city-selected partner now, selling with restrictions, partnering with existing development entities such as MEDC or MCDC, or holding the property for later development. Quint said he will coordinate with the city manager’s office and expects additional public meetings and briefings to occur as a path forward is developed.
Board members who commented during the meeting urged careful attention to the historic fabric and aesthetics of downtown. One board member said they were concerned at the suggestion — reported from the council discussion — that the city might consider selling parcels "as is," and asked how state legislation might affect local controls; Quint reiterated the code context and said the council had not indicated a desire to abandon land-use controls. Another board member recommended emphasizing architecture that fits the existing downtown character. Quint said he would relay board feedback to the council.
Quint closed by saying staff will continue outreach to the council and the public and will return with more detailed proposals as they are developed.
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