By Lisa Wirthman
In 1990, the North Texas town of Frisco was more farmland than city. It had one blinking yellow light, no traffic signals and few retail stores. “You couldn’t even buy a pair of socks in town,” said Mayor Maher Maso, who moved to Frisco in 1992 and has led the town since 2008.
But today Frisco holds a key location along what’s called the “Golden Corridor” in North Texas. The area of affluent neighborhoods and booming commercial growth starts on the north side of downtown Dallas and runs 30 miles north through Frisco. The central location also puts Frisco minutes away from the growth corridor of Interstate 35, which runs from Wichita, Kansas, to San Antonio, Texas.
Frisco was recently named one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities by the U.S. Census and has a five-year compound population growth rate of 4.6 percent. In 2000, Frisco’s population was about 34,000 people. Today, it has about 157,000.
Family Friendly
Mohan Piruthivi moved to Frisco from Silicon Valley in 2013 with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 6, in search of a good place to raise a family, a better quality of life and job opportunities.
Despite Frisco’s booming growth, life is less hectic there, said his wife, Uma Mohan. Parents take time to be involved in their children’s education and after-school activities. “We are enjoying life now in a way we didn’t get to do in California,” she said.
“Back in California I used to wave to my neighbors, but we did not have time to stop and say hello,” said Piruthivi. “Here it’s like the good old days where kids play out on the street and our neighbors just come and knock on our door,” he added. “It’s a welcoming environment.”
A third of Frisco’s population is younger than 18. To meet the needs of its youngest citizens, Frisco invests in schools, parks and trails, public library programs and sports opportunities. The city has more than 8,000 children playing youth soccer alone, and is home to the national headquarters for US Youth Soccer. Frisco is also the headquarters of the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, which hosts Olympic champions such as Nastia Liukin and Madison Kocian.
Scaling Schools
It’s no easy feat to manage one of the fastest-growing school districts in the nation. Frisco Independent School District (ISD) has expanded from four schools in 1993 to 68 schools in 2016, according to Superintendent Jeremy Lyon.
But that rapid growth doesn’t mean cutting any corners with quality. In fact, Frisco ISD has doubled down on it, attracting families with a small schools model that caps high schools at about 2,100 students, Lyon said. The district’s mission is to know every student by name and need.
As new families arrive, the city’s diversity increases. Frisco ISD services 67 languages spoken by the families of its students. “We have students coming from all over the globe,” said Lyon, which creates unique opportunities for students to share their cultures and work with one another. “It’s a very inclusive culture,” he added.
Driving Development
The job opportunities that attracted Piruthivi’s family and others are driven by projects such as Frisco’s “$5 Billion Mile,” a stretch of high-end developments along the Dallas North Tollway that includes The Star in Frisco, the new corporate headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys. It also boasts expansive office and retail space, restaurants, multiple hotels, apartment homes and luxury condos.
“People ask me: How in the world did you land the Dallas Cowboys?” Maso said. “We didn’t. We created the infrastructure that made them want to be here.”
Maso cited a reputation for strong partnerships and innovation as part of Frisco’s allure to developers.
“Building buildings is not difficult. The real issue is bringing the right people in that are passionate about what you’re doing,” said Maso. “These folks want to try new things and create new models, and they have found a very welcoming city.”
Ready For Growth Ahead
Going forward, Frisco’s detailed master plan includes plans to build out its population to 375,000 residents, including adding more high-tech, financial services and healthcare jobs. “We know where we’re going,” Maso said.
“The greatest lesson is: Stick to the plan and don’t let the blowing wind change your direction,” he added. “We’re having a lot of fun right now because everybody is on the same page.”
Lisa Wirthman is a journalist who writes about business, public policy and women’s issues.
