Frisco is one of the oldest cities in the metroplex and over the years we have not stopped growing!  Every day you see more modern buildings going up and more new developments along the Tollway.  From the PGA to The Star there is always something to do!  BUT, WHAT ABOUT MAIN?  WHAT ABOUT THE HEART OF OUR CITY?

Just beyond the glamour and stadium lights of Toyota Stadium sits a unique and historic downtown.  The downtown Rail District is home to an eclectic group of independent, locally owned restaurants and businesses. The district boasts unique street murals and one-of-a-kind shops.  This historically preserved area offers visitors a glimpse into the “Real Frisco,” not the Touristy Frisco.  The Rail district is surrounded by residents who enjoy living in the area and is home to locally owned small-town businesses that have invested in our community for YEARS.  Now, they need the CITY TO INVEST IN THEM! 

Yes, downtown needed to be REVITALIZED, that we can all agree on.  It has taken the city DECADES to come up with a plan, and now they are moving right along!  HOWEVER, residents and local business owners are asking COULD THE CITY HAVE GONE ABOUT IT A DIFFERENT WAY?  The impact on these small businesses has been devastating!  These are locals who have invested in Frisco for years, paid taxes, and now they are in trouble because of REVITALIZATION. It is time for them to realize the impact on downtown businesses and that it is NOT NATURAL. It HAS BEEN CREATED by OUR CITY!  KEY POINT: The trouble they are in is not because of the economy; it is the IMPACT OF THE CONSTRUCTION that is #DestoryingMain!   

The people finally had enough. And no, not the “enough” where you write a passive-aggressive Facebook comment while sipping your venti latte—this was real, in-the-flesh frustration.  Residents and small business owners lined up one after another at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.  Stepping up to the microphone, voices cracking between anger and heartbreak, to say what everyone driving down Main Street already knows: Main is broken, Businesses are broken, and it is time for the Council to stop pretending it’s fine.

Citizens Input: Main Street, or Main Mess?

FACT: Main is supposed to be the beating heart of Frisco. Instead, it’s looking more like endless traffic, crumbling infrastructure, and the ever-growing list of businesses just barely hanging on. Main isn’t thriving—it’s BARELY surviving.

The people who spoke didn’t come armed with consultants, shiny renderings, or buzzwords like “synergy corridors.” They came with lived experience: the store owner whose sales have dropped because customers don’t want to fight the chaos to park or try to cross the street without a Frogger-level survival plan. Main used to be a place you wanted to stroll on a Friday night.

LIMIT THE TIME

It started with Jeff Cheney looking for a motion to limit the time to speak from 5 minutes to 3 minutes (because there were more than 10 people).    Keating, who hopes to be your next Mayor (remember that) was the first to motion to “CUT THE TIME,” which was seconded by Livingston.  These are local businesses, and you can’t take 5 minutes to hear each one of them?

Next, Mayor Jeff Cheney did exactly what Mayor Jeff Cheney always does (side note: we are reaching out to the Texas Municipal League to see if our mayor may have violated the open meetings act), talking before anyone had taken the microphone to discuss an item NOT ON THE AGENDA! Why? He announced the city planned to allocate $500,000 towards Main, and they will hold a public discussion sometime around October 7^th. 

The Voices of Frisco Business Owners & Residents:

First Up: Erik Colberg spoke as a resident who lives in the Rail District

Lee Gonzales – Owner of La Finca Coffee & Bakery located at 7511 Main Street #150

Randy Burks – Randy’s Steakhouse located at 7026 Main Street

Randy’s plea brought tears to the eyes of many sitting in the council chambers. Randy’s started his businesses here in 1993 and today Randy’s Steakhouse sits in the Old Victorian Style Home along Main Street that used to belong to Frisco native Vivian McCallum. The impact has devastated his business.

Steve Anderson – Music Services located at 6726 West Main St

John Taylor – PC Geeks Computer Repair located at 7272 Main St, Ste 200

Owners of Simply Thai Bistro located at 6842 West Main St, Ste 101

Jason Taylor – Owner of Endur3Bikes located at 6699 Main St

Rich Vana– Chef/Owner of Heritage Table located at 7110 Main St

Samar & Luna Binat – Owner of La Suprema Market located at 6726 Main St, Ste 100

Taylor Lattery: Frisco Music Store

Scott Hoffner – Owner of Didi’s Downtown located at 7210 W. Main St

Local Frisco Resident: Paul Jessen

Local Rail District Resident: Brittnay Colberg

Council’s Response: Insert Shrug Emoji

Mayor Cheney (as usual) took his time to respond.  The Texas Open Meetings Act states: The city council shall not deliberate on any item that is not on the agenda, and for such an item, members of council may either: (1) make a statement of fact regarding the item; (2) make a statement concerning the policy regarding the item; or (3) propose that the item be placed on a future agenda.   As we have said before, we believe Cheney continually violates this during citizen input because he is not making a statement of fact, he is not talking about a policy he is pontificating his opinion.

As for the rest of the council, well, Keating wants a T-shirt!  That will be good clickbait for his Mayoral Campaign website (once he announces his BIG secret)! As for the rest, the reaction was predictable. Council sat nodding politely, practicing their best “I’m listening” faces while probably drafting their next campaign slogans in their heads. Because what’s the use of listening if it is not a billion-dollar developer!

The Hashtag Heard Around Frisco

The people weren’t asking for magic. They weren’t asking for a monorail or a Disneyland Main Street redo. They were asking for action—basic, common-sense fixes, leadership, and accountability.  Instead, what they’ve gotten so far is a year of excuses, construction delays, and much of the time businesses have been non-accessible. 

#SAVEMAIN is more than a social media slogan—it’s a rallying cry. It’s the people saying: stop patting yourselves on the back for “economic development wins” when you can’t fix the most visible, most essential street in the city. If the Council won’t act now, when?

Frisco, the people have spoken. They showed up. They demanded better. Now the ball’s in Council’s court. They can either lead—or they can keep ignoring the obvious while the rest of us tweet #SAVEMAIN until our thumbs cramp.  Because here’s the truth: the citizens already told you the answer. You just must stop pretending not to hear it.

Residents Should Be Asking…

Why now?  For years, the councils have gone back and forth about the redevelopment of downtown Frisco.  Why not do this during the Covid shutdown so businesses did not suffer twice?

When this started in June 2024 – what was the expectation for the future?

The businesses who are struggling from this construction – who is knocking on their door to “Buy or Save” their business? 

What is a revitalized downtown without the heart of downtown – the businesses?

Stay Tuned for Part 2

Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief.  It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary.  Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical.  Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.