Last September, Money magazine was the latest publication to rank McKinney, Texas, as the best place to live in the U.S., based on such factors as economic growth and the quality of its schools.
The city, located about 33 miles north of Dallas, is trying to capitalize its newfound status to attract more residents and businesses. (Its population is currently around 155,000.)
To that end, next Monday McKinney is scheduled to begin construction on a $34.5 million 80,000-sf aquatic and fitness center that local officials hope will make the city even more marketable to newcomers. The center will be built at the Gabe Nesbitt Community Park.
Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects is the architect of record on this project. Moody Nolan is the recreational designer. Counsilman-Hunsaker is the aquatics consultant. And Manhattan Construction Group is the Construction Manager at Risk. The city started accepting subcontractor bids in May, and local officials expect the center to be completed by December 2016.
The three-story center will have a gym, fitness rooms, sports courts, water slides, and 10,000 sf of pools, including a 25-meter indoor competitive pool. The center will also offer classes and childcare.
The Courier-Gazette, a local newspaper, reports that $33 million of the project’s cost are being funded by the McKinney Community Development Corporation with a combination of sales tax revenue and bond financing.
This project, the biggest in McKinney’s history, has been kicking around since 1999, when Ryan Mullins became the city’s assistant parks and recreation director. In 2006, voters approved bond financing for the center. (The Dallas Morning News reports that the final plans for the center are scaled down from an initial project that would have cost $44 million. It also reports that the center has taken so long to get started because the McKinney Independent School district, which was to provide $15 million, backed out of the deal.)
The groundbreaking for the new center will be a welcome event for McKinney, whose image took a hit last month when, during a rowdy party the Craig Ranch Community pool, a police officer pushed a 15-year-old girl to the ground and drew his gun on other young people.
Related Stories
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 8, 2013
Toronto Maple Leafs arena converted to university recreation facility
Using steel reinforcement and massive box trusses, a Building Team methodically inserts four new floors in the landmark arena while preserving and restoring its historic exterior.
| Oct 1, 2013
13 structural steel buildings that dazzle
The Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., are among projects named 2013 IDEAS2 winners by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
| Sep 26, 2013
6 ways to maximize home-field advantage in sports venue design
Home-field advantage can play a significant role in game outcomes. Here are ways AEC firms can help create the conditions that draw big crowds, energize the home team to perform better, and disrupt visiting players.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 19, 2013
Roof renovation tips: Making the choice between overlayment and tear-off
When embarking upon a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions for the Building Team is whether to tear off and replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Roofing experts offer guidance on making this assessment.
| Sep 17, 2013
Healthcare project will merge outpatient clinic with YMCA to promote wellness and prevention
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region announce collaboration, along with developer The Boldt Company, to create next-generation wellness facility.