“That’s not the downtown Frisco I grew up with.”
It’s not a direct quote; it’s more like a paraphrase that can be attached to numerous generations of native Frisco residents. I moved to Frisco in 2003 to the northeast corner of Preston and Eldorado, and in those seemingly short 17 years I can even say, “That’s not the downtown Frisco I grew up with.”
I get it.
So does the City of Frisco and Nack Development.
Their approach is to merge and embrace the old with the new. Most paramount is their goal to get the input of the public. This philosophy, according to Frisco Development Services Director John Lettelleir, is derived from a book called A Pattern Language.
The book was published in 1977, the year I was born, so like me, it’s smart, beautiful, and still extremely relevant. In case you want to cheat at your next book club meeting, the main idea is that there are patterns that can present both a problem and a solution. This introduces a way for the entire community from the developers to the citizens (and in some cases, the developers are also citizens) to improve a neighborhood or town together, house by house, school by school, business by business.
There has been a very sensitive approach to the development of and commitment to downtown Frisco going back to the 1990s. The most recent example of this approach is the 4th Street Plaza between Main and Elm that is pedestrian-focused.
Expanding upon The Tower at the Rail, The Patios at the Rail, The Calaboose, and The Nack Theater, the goal is merging “old” downtown Frisco with Frisco Square by providing accessibility, walkability, and fun-ability (not a word, but I like the repetition here so just go with it).
Another word that kind of matches here is transparency. The City of Frisco, from top to bottom wants transparency, otherwise, the concept of A Pattern Language doesn’t work. Anything you want to see or know about Frisco development, especially in the Rail District, can be found on their website. Lettelleir stresses that the city and developers want the public’s input on the plaza.
If that input is “that’s not the downtown Frisco I grew up with,” they will listen to you. Because it’s not wrong. It’s not the downtown Frisco you grew up with. It’s not the downtown Frisco I grew up with and I didn’t even really grow up here.
Lifestyle Frisco has interviewed Donny Churchman, President and Owner of Nack Development a couple of times. Lifestyle Frisco has interviewed John Lettelleir. Watch the videos, and you’ll see people committed to enhancing an area while preserving an area.
The city feels the same way, especially in the Rail District because of the history, because of the nostalgia, because it still is the downtown you grew up with. The only difference is when you grew up with it.
Go online to see the Downtown Street Improvements and Plaza from January 2020. See what you think. If you have any opinions, contact the city. They want to hear from you. They want to work with you.
And while this might not be the downtown Frisco you grew up with, it can very positively be the downtown Frisco we all grow with. That’s the pattern language. That’s the Frisco language.
A Nack for Placemaking
You can read, watch, and listen to more about Nack Development on our site, but also visit their Nack’s website and social media to further understand the vision of the company and their projects in Frisco, Texas.
A boutique-style Real Estate Development Company, Nack Development believes each community has its own identity that craves a unique design and style to be cultivated. Specializing in residential development for home builders as well as niche downtown redevelopment projects focusing on the revitalization of old towns via mixed-use developments, Nack knows that a healthy downtown is key to a strong sense of community.
Developer Donny Churchman, CEO of Nack Development, comes from a long line of visionaries who devoted their lives to the potential and growth their city could produce. Cultivating ideas is built into his DNA.
Related Articles:
Creating a Downtown for a New Generation in Frisco
Nack Development – Reimagining a Destination in Downtown Frisco