City, airport and Collin College officials to speak about development plans at chamber breakfast on Friday, Dec. 5

By Brandi Hart
McKinney Update.com editor

Created at 10:45 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2008

City of McKinney, Collin College and Collin County Regional Airport officials will speak about future development and ongoing projects at the city, Central Park college campus, and the airport on Friday, Dec. 5 at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in McKinney.

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce will the breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Dec. 5 at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, 3220 Craig Drive. Speakers include city of McKinney Development Services Executive Director John Kessel, Mary McRae, vice president of Collin College. McKinney City Council member at-large Pete Huff will speak at the event.

McRae said she will talk about the new 44,000 square foot, two-story library that is currently being built at the Central Park Campus in McKinney north of US 380, just west of US 75. The library should open by the beginning of the fall 2009 semester, McRae said. It will also include additional class rooms. The library is currently located on the first floor on the southeast side of the Central Park Campus.She will also talk about the newly expanded Student Development Center at the Central Park Campus, which was moved from the south section of the school to the north section of the campus, near Pike Hall- an auditorium at the campus.

The book store is also being expanded and moved near the new Student Development Center and a conference room now sits where the open eating area used to be located near Pike Hall, McRae said. McRae added this this year the Central Park Campus saw its highest enrollment since the campus opened in McKinney in 1986.She credits the growth that has continued in McKinney, and the college's exceptional programming as why so many students are making the campus their college home.

Mary McRae

Kessel will speak about the construction that will soon occur at the State Highway 121 and US 75 intersection and give details about the construction that recently began at the intersection of US 75 and US 380, he said. The SH 121 main lanes should be completed in McKinney in 2010, and the widening of the lanes of US 75 and the lanes at US 380 at US 75 should be completed in 2010. All construction of the main lanes of US 75 should be completed by 2014 from SH 121 south to SH 121 north in McKinney, Kessel said. He will also talk about how the city infused $2.2 million to renovate the downtown square by installing new water and sewer lines, and storm water drainage, repaving the streets that comprise the square, and widening the sidewalks in downtown to make the square more pedestrian friendly. New lighting was also added to the square.

John Kessel

The downtown infrastructure project began after Christmas 2007 and was completed at the end of September, prior to the city's first Oktoberfest held in downtown. The purpose of the project was to expand downtown activities, evening hours, patio seating, special events, Kessel said. The project was on completed on time and on budget, Kessel added.

Huff will talk about developments at the airport, including the new runway that will be built west of the existing runway and a new tower that will be built somewhere on the airport site. The environmental assessment for the replacement runway has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and the runway is currently in the design and planning phase.

David Pitstick, the chief executive officer and president of the McKinney Economic Development Corporation will be the emcee of the event and will also talk about the MEDC's strategic plan.

The program and breakfast is $15 for chamber members who register and pay in advance, or at the door, and $25 for prospective members, walk-ins and members who pay by invoice.  To register, contact Sharon Montgomery at 972.542.0163 or smontgomery@mckinneytx.org.  Cancellations must be made in advance or will otherwise be invoiced. The event is sponsored by Independent Bank.