Frisco will soon have 2 performing arts facilities
The city said the partners were “prevented from moving forward as a collective group” due to the “unique priorities” of each partner.
FRISCO, Texas — After much discussion about creating a performing arts center in the city of Frisco, the potential partnership between the city, Frisco ISD, and Hall Park is over.
The city said Thursday that the groups were moving “in different directions in their quest to develop two distinct performing arts facilities.”
The effort to bring a performing arts center to Frisco has been going on for over a decade. On June 1, 2021, the Frisco City Council unanimously approved terms that could bring a center to Hall Park.
More than $100 million in private, city and school funds were at stake, including a $43 million bond approved by Frisco ISD. The total budgeted cost of the performing arts center, garage, and park project was $130 million.
The city said the partners were “prevented from moving forward as a collective group” due to the “unique priorities” of each partner.
Frisco ISD will continue construction of a performing arts center with a “student-first focus” on land already owned by the district, the city said in a news release.
“We are grateful for the support and vision of the City of Frisco and Craig Hall throughout this partnership exploration,” said Rene Archambault, Frisco ISD School Board Chair. “We share the same goal of an expanded and thriving arts community in Frisco, and we look forward to helping shape that future through increased opportunities for young people in the fine arts. Community investment in arts education will impact our community for generations.
The city said it would continue its partnership with Hall Group to explore “building a world-class, community-focused, commercially viable performing arts center.”
“Frisco has had an impressive track record of successful public-private partnerships, and while this particular partnership has changed course, we are still actively supporting the City of Frisco’s development of a programmed community park that will include many artistic elements exciting and we look forward to more opportunities to work with these parties again in the future,” said Craig Hall, Founder and Chairman of Hall Group.
Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said the district remains a valued partner despite the leadership change.
“We’ve learned so much about the state of the ‘arts’ in our community. From the needs of our various arts and community groups to the dream of bringing Broadway to Frisco, the demand for the arts has never been higher,” said Cheney said. “As a result, I am more confident than ever Frisco can support a premier performing arts facility benefiting the entire region.”
At the start of the project, the partners hoped that the finished product would be ready in 2024.
