A rezoning vote this week by the Frisco City Council paves the way for a proposed hotel adjacent to Dr Pepper Ballpark, home of the Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League).
There is a proposal in place to redevelop 14 acres on the northeast corner of Dallas Parkway and Ikea Drive, which would bring several new amenities to the area surrounding Dr Pepper Ballpark. A hotel has been proposed for 4.3 acres of the development site, but its scope exceeds the standards approved in a previous zoning ordinance that limited any hotel on the property to 600 rooms.
As part of a vote on Tuesday, the Frisco City Council repealed that ordinance to effectively remove the room cap while changing zoning regulations to allow for nonresidential development such as restaurants and offices. More from Frisco Enterprise:
“The original ordinance was adopted for the purpose of creating a mixed use district centered around anchor sports facilities and the convention center,” [Frisco planning manager Anthony] Satarino said. “Since then the north section of the land has developed, leaving a 14-acre tract on the northeast corner vacant.”
Satarino said hotel plans have been submitted to the office of Planning and Zoning Commission to be placed inside the 14-acre tract of land south of the stadium. Since 2013, the land has been owned by Frisco Community Development Corporation and could be built immediately once a design is approved and businesses are put in place.
As of now, the area is being used as parking for the ballpark. Satarino said in order to compensate for the loss of parking, the hotel and offices, would put in place a joint use parking area to meet the demands of a capacity crowd in the ballpark and the hockey arena. The council lofted the idea of a parking structure being erected. The new ordinance demands that any office, or hotel, share parking during games or events.
“I don’t have any issues with the hotel. The RoughRiders are a long standing amenity in Frisco, an attraction,” Councilman Will Sowell said. “I want to make sure we are taking care of their parking needs as we move forward with the rest of the development. We don’t just want the standard parking garage approach. It is just different when you have everyone leaving at one time compared to trickling in to the office.”
Dr Pepper Ballpark has been home to the RoughRiders since 2003.
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