Frisco’s latest development project will bring a massive cast of superheroes, TV stars and movie greats to Collin County.
Universal Parks & Resorts – the theme park arm of entertainment giant NBCUniversal – has bought land on the Dallas North Tollway for a new children’s theme park and hotel. The nearly 100-acre planned entertainment center will be located on the Dallas North Tollway in the $10 billion Fields development.
Drone Video: Check out the future Universal Studios location in Frisco on the Dallas North Tollway.
Frisco officials and Universal executives Wednesday announced plans for the groundbreaking new development after months of planning and negotiations. The Orlando-based company acquired the land for the theme park in December using a Delaware-based shell company, County Records Show reveals.
The project aims to appeal to families, with immersive experiences making it a one- to two-day destination, said Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts. The park will include four or five Universal-style interactive experiences and a 300-room hotel.
“You have a fantastic city,” Woodbury said. “It’s vibrant and energetic and full of young families, which makes it the perfect place for what we do.
“We have a portfolio of great attractions that appeal to young families around the world,” he said. “We came up with the idea of bringing all of that together and creating a destination specifically designed to appeal to families with young children. It will be a rich, rich experience for families to enjoy together – to create memories that will last a lifetime.”
Woodbury said the park attractions would be “built around a lush landscape.”
Universal executives have not provided a timeline for the project. Property sales records show the company has four years to open the park.
Mayor Jeff Cheney called it a “unique” project for which Universal considered locations around the world.
“Families for generations to come will experience immersive environments with the stories they love,” he said. “They were looking not just anywhere in the country but anywhere in the world to start this.
“They decided North Texas would be a good fit,” Cheney said. “You can all see why they chose Frisco – Frisco is known for being family-friendly.”
In contrast to Universal Studios’ sprawling parks in Orlando, Los Angeles and abroad, the Frisco development will be a much smaller attraction.
“The park is about a quarter the size of our major Orlando parks,” said Page Thompson, president of Universal Parks. “It’s full of family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows.
“You’ll meet and greet all of our beloved Universal characters.”
The project, located at the northeast corner of the toll road and Panther Creek Parkway, will also include retail and restaurants under the agreement with the Fields developers.
Frisco officials teased the project on Tuesday as a “major economic and tourism development.”
Plans for the Frisco Universal theme park come after decades of speculation that entertainment companies, including Disney, were scouting North Texas for a theme park.
Frisco Universal Park will join the PGA of America’s new golf resort as the main attraction in the Fields community, which has been in development for four years.
The Frisco Fields development, which extends between Preston Road and US Highway 380, is planned to include up to 14,000 homes and commercial space. The developers Karahan Cos. and Hunt Realty are building the Fields community in partnership with investors Chief Capital and Crosstie Capital.
Part of entertainment conglomerate Comcast, NBCUniversal is best known for its television programming and hit movies. The company’s theme park business generates billions of dollars in revenue annually from its signature properties in Florida, California, Asia and Spain.
The massive Universal Orlando Resort attracts more than 10 million visitors annually. The park in Orlando is more than five times the size planned in Frisco.
Universal Orlando features attractions based on hit movies like Harry Potter, ET, The Minions and The Mummy. There are resort hotels, restaurants, retail and of course rides.
Universal’s theme park business employs more than 28,000 people worldwide.
The Universal Studios theme park in Frisco will occupy land previously planned for mixed-use development.
“This is another big thing for both our project and Frisco,” said Fields developer Fehmi Karahan.
The Frisco City Council has scheduled a meeting Wednesday night to speak to homeowners about the proposed development. It will be held at Trent Middle School south of the Fields development.
“Obviously, our planning and zoning on this project still has some work to do,” Cheney said.