Plano: misc. developments

[jrd1964]

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... plano.html

Plano ISD will build a new Fine Arts center on Alma between W. Park Blvd. and 15th Street. A main auditorium will seat 1500 and include a balcony and orchestra pit. The complex will also house an art gallery. Not only will school-related events take place there, but non-school functions as well. Construction will start next summer, but a completion/opening date was not listed.

The article didn't mention it, but the Fine Arts center will likely be the de-facto substitute for the cancelled Collin County arts hall that was planned between Plano and neighboring suburbs Allen, Frisco, and McKinney.

[The_Overdog]

In my opinion that's a terrible place for performing arts center mostly because nobody of school age actually lives anywhere close to it. I guess that's what you get when you have 3 high schools of equal-ish power. I mean it's next door neighbor is a huge cube storage location, a lone office building, and the rest of the land is zoned for elderly/senior housing accommodations.

No idea what they were thinking.

but the Fine Arts center will likely be the de-facto substitute for the cancelled Collin County arts hall that was planned between Plano and neighboring suburbs Allen, Frisco, and McKinney.

Yes and no. I think performing arts centers are just kind of an in-thing to build right now. Richardson and Allen currently have ones and UT-Dallas Richardson is also planning one.

[The_Overdog]

The new US75 Plano Parkway flyover is now complete -they took away a service road lane and added it to the highway, and built a flyover lane for Plano Parkway. The result with BJs Pizza and Chipotle and whatever feel they like they are right up against the highway and you can look down upon the roofs of the buildings as you go by. There are only a few places in DFW where you get that sensation - most in downtown Dallas but also the Galleria.

I'd think that the existing structures will not last much longer with this configuration. They will eventually be bulldozed and setback farther or add additional stories.

[muncien]

The new US75 Plano Parkway flyover is now complete -they took away a service road lane and added it to the highway, and built a flyover lane for Plano Parkway. The result with BJs Pizza and Chipotle and whatever feel they like they are right up against the highway and you can look down upon the roofs of the buildings as you go by. There are only a few places in DFW where you get that sensation - most in downtown Dallas but also the Galleria.

I'd think that the existing structures will not last much longer with this configuration. They will eventually be bulldozed and setback farther or add additional stories.

Not Plano, but the new I35E/SRT interchange is very similar. You can't even see it on internet maps yet as it's brand new, but ironically it too involves an on-ramp running above a BJ's and a Chipotle... lol

[The_Overdog]

Not Plano, but the new I35E/SRT interchange is very similar

Poor BJs and Chipotle. With the service roads shrinking (a good thing in my opinion) parts of DFW will really start to look different in the next few years.

[The_Overdog]

The lobby portion of the Southfork Hotel on the edge of central expressway is now a giant pile of rubble. The hotel rooms off the wings were separated from the lobby and turned into another hotel. Not sure what is planned for the soon to be empty lot.

[jrd1964]

The lobby portion of the Southfork Hotel on the edge of central expressway is now a giant pile of rubble. The hotel rooms off the wings were separated from the lobby and turned into another hotel. Not sure what is planned for the soon to be empty lot.

Just noticed that a few nights ago. The main part became a Quality Inn & Suites a little while back, while the farthest wing (closest to the 16th Street turn-off from the 75-Central service road) was turned into a Studio 6. I've not heard about what's up with the torn-down part of the hotel. Good to see real brands there instead of something made up or unusally-named just to draw tourists off the highway.

[The_Overdog]

Couple of downtown Plano updates:
There are port-a-potties around the closed Wendys on 15th street. That usually portends demolition, but I've not seen any plans on what could be replacing it.

50 unit multifamily request on 14th & Ave K, right across from downtown.

There is a also a request with the Historical Preservation group to demo or remove a house that is deemed 'historically significant' for Plano but really just a dumpy generic old house anywhere else. Apparently nobody wants it, so they are asking for the demo permit, and it will be replaced with townhomes.

[exelone31]

Couple of downtown Plano updates:
There are port-a-potties around the closed Wendys on 15th street. That usually portends demolition, but I've not seen any plans on what could be replacing it.

50 unit multifamily request on 14th & Ave K, right across from downtown.

There is a also a request with the Historical Preservation group to demo or remove a house that is deemed 'historically significant' for Plano but really just a dumpy generic old house anywhere else. Apparently nobody wants it, so they are asking for the demo permit, and it will be replaced with townhomes.

Thanks for the updates! I'm curious to see what ultimately happens with that "gateway" to downtown Plano where Wendy's, Braum's, etc is at. They made really nice updates to the sidewalks and the cool vertical "Plano" sign, so hopefully there's some revitalization afoot.

Which house is on the docket to be moved? Just curious.

[BiscuitHead]

The Wendy’s is being torn down today.

[The_Overdog]

Which house is on the docket to be moved? Just curious.

910 17th Street. Near 17th & I.

[R1070]

I was thinking the other day that midrise infill all around the core of the downtown would be super cool!

[Tnexster]

‘Don’t Uptown Our Plano’ is one of The Angry Crowd’s scare tactics distorting the city's real story

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm ... real-story

[The_Overdog]

Given Plano's lousy turnout in local elections, these (really any) fringe groups have an opportunity to make over the city council to pursue their own interests when local elections are not coupled with a presidential election. It would be really interesting to see an anti-growth council in place, and Plano being seriously surpassed by its peers, like Irving, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, The Colony, Rockwall, whomever.

Frisco and Allen are both doing all the same stuff but they don't have anti-growth councils so the pushback is much less.

[exelone31]

‘Don’t Uptown Our Plano’ is one of The Angry Crowd’s scare tactics distorting the city's real story

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm ... real-story

Yeah, it seems like this is NIMBY-ism at its finest. I have not dug into the content of what Plano Future puts out there, but I have a feeling there aren't a lot of solutions offered, only complaints.

It's been great to see the development that's been happening in Plano, and I hope it tilts even more toward urban style revitalization with places like Collin Creek Mall and Legacy East(?).

[cowboyeagle05]

Yeah, I read the Plano Future website and its a lot of scattered understanding of development and whats happening. A lot of fear of becoming New York city which is always the extreme that people in suburban communities refer too when discussing urbanization.

[Tnexster]

You can look at NYC and use it as a model of what you don't want to become, which is fine since it's not for everybody but urbanizing doesn't make you NYC.

[exelone31]

Yeah, I read the Plano Future website and its a lot of scattered understanding of development and whats happening. A lot of fear of becoming New York city which is always the extreme that people in suburban communities refer too when discussing urbanization.

Hahaha yes, because there are loads of New York Cities popping up left and right.

[cowboyeagle05]

We know that but if you have ever been to a city council or planning meeting with some of these anti-urban people you will understand that they don't read books on urbanization or the history of cities. They base their understandings on these things on stuff they have seen and or experienced and for many, that's a combination of TV and horror stories about the homeless and cities running rampant in the 70/80's with drugs and poor uneducated classes of people suffering while the suburbs blossomed with white flight jobs and ranch homes for everyone. Kinda a cartoon of urbanization but we can not expect every citizen to be well educated on urban planning, economics, social imbalances and how past public policy has protected them from the reality of suburban communities structural instability.

[Tnexster]

Plano sets a vote that could repeal the master development plan that split the city

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm ... split-city

[exelone31]

Plano sets a vote that could repeal the master development plan that split the city

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm ... split-city

Good. ness. What a shame.

[The_Overdog]

This decision does make it seem like the city government is at best losing to reactionaries, but then again the 'master plan' that they are fighting over is so toothless it doesn't even seem worth fighting for.

Plano does spot zoning, mostly relies on the 'market' to determine land value, and even when it does tilt in favor of something (the current location of the under-construction high school performing arts center would be an example) it's tilted towards the status quo, not anything remotely 'tomorrow-ish'. I think that is the problem - the people excited about this plan have mostly moved on and everyone else is lukewarm at best, because there's honestly nothing to it to be excited about.

Nothing has changed since this masterplan came about so why spend any money fighting for it?