MCKINNEY, Texas — The City of McKinney is breaking ground on a new City Hall complex that is breaking ground on what a City Hall can be, as it will also feature social and entertainment aspects.
Located in the Historic Downtown McKinney Cultural District at the intersection of East Virginia and Throckmorton streets, the new 175,000-square-foot building will hold most of the city's services and administrative offices. It will also include a 180-seat council chambers and a 96-seat event space, as well as nine conference rooms and a conferencing center.
"We are creating not just a City Hall, but a gathering space the entire community will embrace," McKinney Mayor George Fuller said in a statement. "The additional social and entertainment aspects of the district will offer yet another exciting place for residents to choose to live, dine, recreate, exchange ideas, and otherwise share memorable experiences."
There will also be a large public plaza used for outdoor gatherings, festivals and performances outside the complex. The building will attempt to preserve the historical elements of the City Hall District by complementing the historic silos across Virginia Street with a 100' mural by international artist Guido van Helten.
“This is exciting not just for our community, but for the 1,300 full-time employees and another 350 part-time and seasonal employees who work for the city,” McKinney City Manager Paul Grimes said in a statement. “This project fulfills a long-standing goal to develop a genuine City Hall, which brings together most of the city's functional departments and helps reduce or eliminate inefficiencies of leasing space and commute time among various operating departments.”
This new complex was funded in 2019 when voters passed a $50 million bond proposition for its construction.