Construction crews are officially in the dirt at Firefly Park, the 217-acre mixed-use village taking shape along the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco. About $25 million in civil and landscaping work is underway to prep retail pads, public green space and utilities that developers say will clear the runway for shops, housing and a hotel. The push comes on the heels of the developer naming TYLER'S as the first confirmed retail tenant for the project earlier this year.
Retail Site Work Finally Hits the Ground
Roughly $25 million in civil and landscape work at the Firefly Park retail site broke ground this month, according to the Houston Chronicle, which reports that the filing was made with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration. The outlet notes that the permitted scope covers horizontal infrastructure only, including grading, utilities and landscaping, rather than vertical construction for buildings. The state filing, as cited by the Houston Chronicle, schedules this retail-site work through September 2027.
Developer Spells Out the Scale
According to the project overview from Wilks Development, Firefly Park is planned as a 217-acre urban village built around a 45-acre destination park. The full buildout calls for roughly 400,000 square feet of retail, more than 3 million square feet of office space and nearly 2,000 mid- and high-rise residential units. The same project page lists Phase 1 components that include about 123,000 square feet of retail, 420 residential units, 175,000 square feet of office and a hotel. Horizontal construction began in 2024, and Wilks says the project is expected to move into vertical building over the coming year as leasing continues.
TYLER'S Lines Up in Aurora Tower
In a press release distributed via PR Newswire, Wilks Development announced that Texas-based sportswear retailer TYLER'S has signed a lease for roughly 16,653 square feet on the ground floor of Aurora, an 18-story residential tower at Firefly Park. "TYLER'S is a natural fit for Firefly Park and the experience we're creating," Kyle Wilks said in the release. The planned store represents about 13 percent of the first phase's retail footprint, and the developer says TYLER'S is expected to open with phase one.
Split Timelines, Same Construction Grind
The timing for when Firefly Park actually opens its doors depends on which document you read. The project page from Wilks Development lists Phase 1 delivery in the first quarter of 2027. By contrast, the state filing cited by the Houston Chronicle schedules horizontal retail-site work through September 2027. That gap matters for retailers and restaurants, since storefront buildouts cannot start until utilities, grading and landscaping are in place. For now, the developer continues to market retail and office space while contractors focus on getting the site infrastructure finished.
What It Means for Frisco’s PGA Corridor
Firefly Park sits in the middle of the fast-changing PGA Parkway corridor and lines up with a wave of large projects that local coverage has framed as part of a broader PGA halo effect. The Dallas Morning News reported that the first phase will bring a Dream Hotel along with substantial office space, and noted that city officials have worked with the developer on infrastructure intended to speed up buildout. In the near term, the work is expected to generate construction jobs, with retail and hospitality hiring likely to follow as slabs, shells and storefronts move toward completion.
Next Steps as Leases Stack Up
The developer says it expects to announce additional retail tenants in the coming weeks as horizontal work advances and leasing pages stay active. Residents, brokers and prospective tenants can watch public permitting records and developer updates for firmer opening dates, while the city sequences road and utility work to come online with each section of the site.
