The Frisco City Council approved a special election for May 3 for a bond to par for the Frisco Center for the Arts project.
FRISCO, Texas — Frisco voters will soon decide whether to approve a $160 million bond for a new arts and cultural center.
This week, the Frisco City Council voted 5-1 to call a special election on May 3, asking residents to approve funding for the Frisco Center for the Arts project.
The planned performing arts center would be built on six acres at the intersection of U.S. 380 and the Dallas North Tollway, a site that straddles both the Prosper and Frisco ISD zones. The total cost of the project is estimated to be between $300 and $340 million. Prosper ISD has committed $100 million from its 2023 Performing Arts Center bond funds to support the initiative.
The center would feature a 2,800-seat performance hall, capable of hosting Broadway shows and other major performances, as well as a 300-400-seat community hall.
Both the city of Frisco and Prosper ISD would co-own the facility, with plans to partner with Broadway Across America and Broadway Dallas to bring productions to the venue. The city is also seeking a private partner to manage and operate the center.
Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “If approved, the Frisco Center for the Arts will be a $300 to $340 million asset that will serve this community for 50 years or more. The cost to us, as taxpayers, is a maximum of $160 million, funded primarily through sales tax generated by visitors to our community. I can’t think of a better opportunity and gift to give future generations of the City of Frisco.”
The push for a performing arts center in Frisco has been ongoing for years. In 2015, voters approved a $267.825 million bond that included $10 million for a performing arts facility. Then, in 2018, another bond issue set aside $43 million for a visual and performing arts center.
Originally, the center was intended to be built at Hall Park as part of a partnership between the city and Frisco ISD. However, in 2022, both parties announced they would pursue separate projects, citing differing priorities, responsibilities to stakeholders, and cost concerns.
Cheney added that, similar to the city’s partnerships with Frisco ISD for venues like The Star and Toyota Stadium, he expects Frisco ISD will collaborate with the city on this new arts center, providing students with opportunities to engage with the project.
City Council member Brian Livingston expressed support for taking the issue to voters but voiced concerns about the project’s potential success, citing the challenges faced by similar centers across the country. “I’m concerned about the success of it,” Livingston said. “While we are a fast-growing, great city, I’m worried there may not be enough support to achieve the necessary fundraising.”
Some residents, including Jared Elad, questioned the need for two performing arts centers in the area, especially given the city’s previous struggles to reach a joint agreement with Frisco ISD on such a project. “With all due respect to my friends in Prosper, why is the city pursuing a project that primarily benefits Prosper ISD students and families when the city was unable to reach an agreement on a joint venture with Frisco ISD?” Elad said. “It seems to me that this project could have been reworked to better serve the Frisco residents. If this project passes, we won’t just have one, we’ll have two Frisco performing arts centers that the Frisco residents will have to support.”
