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April 2026
Momentum
in Motion
Where innovation, growth, and partnership meet, the stories shaping McKinney this month.
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A Note from Our President
April showed what McKinney does best: convening the people who build the future. We hosted the region's first Affordable Housing Summit, celebrated a cardiac survival rate most cities only dream of, and watched three signature projects move closer to delivery. Our story isn't about any single announcement. It's about what happens when a city commits to doing the work together.
Michael Kowski
President & CEO, McKinney Economic Development Corporation
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Now Available
2025 Annual Report
From new business recruitment to startup investment, infrastructure wins to workforce growth, the 2025 MEDC Annual Report tells the full story of a city building with purpose. Take a look at the milestones, the partnerships, and the momentum that carried us into 2026.
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This Month's Headline
McKinney Leads the
Region on Affordable Housing
On April 13, roughly 300 developers, employers, nonprofit leaders, and public officials gathered at the MISD Community Event Center for the first-ever McKinney Affordable Housing Summit, a convening that positions our city as a regional leader on one of the most important economic questions of the decade.
Hosted by McKinney Front Porch alongside the City of McKinney, the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, and the McKinney Housing Authority, the summit advanced a shared agenda: build strategic partnerships that expand housing options at every income level, strengthen workforce attraction, and sustain the quality of life that defines McKinney.
Margaret Li, Director of Housing and Community Development, is leading the development of a formal affordable housing strategy informed by recent Root Policy Research findings. The strategy is targeted for Council review by the end of the fiscal year.
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McKinney is recognized as a regional leader in affordable housing efforts, and I'm so proud that our City Council has taken actions to improve housing affordability and expand housing options.
Margaret Li, Director of Housing & Community Development
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Projects in Motion
Five Stories Shaping
the City's Skyline
Major development updates across McKinney this month.
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On Schedule · Commercial Flights
McKinney National Airport Terminal
The 46,000 sq ft, four-gate passenger terminal remains on track to open late 2026, with Avelo Airlines as the inaugural carrier under a five-year agreement. Avelo will also establish a base here with approximately 50 new jobs. Projected annual economic impact: roughly $300 million for McKinney and the region.
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Newly Announced · Healthcare
Texas Health Resources Campus
Texas Health announced a new 51-acre hospital campus in northeast McKinney, opening 2028. The facility debuts with 60 beds and is designed to double in capacity, featuring a Women's Services Center with L&D and NICU, emergency department, surgical suites, and cardiology services. It's Texas Health's first campus in north Collin County.
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Infrastructure Begins · Mixed-Use
Long Branch at US 75 & 380
Creation Equity's $1.3 billion, 155-acre master-planned development is moving from approval to execution. The buildout includes 1,600 multifamily units, a 318,600 sq ft office campus, a 100-room hotel, 135,000 sq ft of retail anchored by a specialty grocer, and a parking structure. Infrastructure work begins later this year.
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Updated Timeline · Entertainment
Sunset Amphitheater
VENU's $300 million, 20,000-seat amphitheater is progressing through foundation work, with the refined schedule targeting a 2027 opening. Projected impact remains at roughly $3 billion over its first decade and 1,300+ jobs at full operation, with approximately 70 events per year.
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Next Step Approved · Sports & Entertainment
300-Acre Sports Complex
On April 7, Council authorized exclusive negotiations with Parkhill, the Lubbock-based firm, to lead development of a 300-acre sports and entertainment complex at Bloomdale Road and Taylor Burke Drive. A parallel feasibility study is underway for a multigenerational recreation center at a separate 110-acre city-owned site.
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Innovation Momentum
Building a Place Where
Founders Want to Build
The McKinney Innovation Exchange, the next evolution of the Innovation Fund, launched on February 13 as a dedicated hub for founders, investors, corporate partners, and ecosystem builders. A 6,000 sq ft physical space opens later this year adjacent to MEDC offices in District 121. Relocation grants up to $500,000 are available for qualifying startups moving their headquarters to McKinney.
In March, MEDC announced a strategic investment in SyncData.ai, a McKinney-based AI-powered compliance platform led by CEO Alice McLaughlin. The investment expands on MEDC's Innovation Fund portfolio, which has now supported more than 50 startups since 2020.
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50+
Startups Funded
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$500K
Max Relocation Grant
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6,000
Sq Ft Hub Space
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Innovation Fund Spotlight
Welcome to the Fund:
The Andy App
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MEDC is proud to welcome The Andy App to the McKinney Innovation Fund. Founded by McKinney resident and serial entrepreneur Michael Reeves, The Andy App is an AI-powered platform helping homeowners monitor, evaluate, and protest their property tax assessments directly from their phone.
The problem is real: studies suggest 40 to 60 percent of properties may be over-assessed, yet only a fraction of homeowners ever push back. The Andy App changes that by combining advanced data modeling, comparable property analysis, and a simple mobile interface to help users build stronger protest cases and potentially save hundreds to thousands of dollars annually. The platform is live across Texas, with multi-state expansion on the way.
Reeves brings a deep background in property tax and financial services, including a private equity acquisition in 2024. His experience watching homeowners consistently overpay is what drove him to build something better.
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Homeowners are often overpaying simply because they don't know how to fight back. We built Andy to change that.
Michael Reeves, Founder, The Andy App
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Community Spotlight
From 10% to 47%
How McKinney Is
Rewriting Cardiac
Survival
Every minute without CPR drops a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival by 10%. In 2023, McKinney's cardiac survival rate sat at 10%, roughly the national baseline. Today, it stands at 47%, closing in on Seattle's nation-leading 50%.
The change started with Battalion Chief Ben Jones, who led a team to the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle in late 2024 and returned with a plan. Avive Connect AEDs were placed in every McKinney police vehicle. Dispatch times were cut in half. The American Heart Association selected McKinney's 4-Minute City model to anchor its national Heart Health Month campaign.
The next phase is Neighborhood Heroes, placing 400+ smart AEDs directly in the hands of trained citizens, alerted via the GoodSAM app the moment a cardiac event happens within one mile of their location. When complete, no McKinney resident will ever be more than four minutes from a life-saving AED.
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Every minute you're without compressions, you lose about 10% chance of survivability.
Battalion Chief Ben Jones, McKinney Fire Department
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By the Numbers
McKinney at a Glance
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225K+
Residents Call McKinney Home
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$1.3B
Long Branch Investment
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$300M
Projected Annual Airport Impact
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300
Housing Summit Attendees
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Coming This Summer
McKinney Welcomes
the World
This June and July, the world's premier international sporting event comes to Dallas, and McKinney is ready to be the home base. TUPPS Brewery is the official watch party headquarters, showing every single match live, with District 121 joining the lineup. Full event and watch party schedules drop next month.
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The McKinney Experience · June & July 2026
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Also on Our Radar
Quick Hits from Around the City
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MPAC Renovation
The McKinney Performing Arts Center is closed for most of 2026 for a $10M renovation, its first major refresh since the 2000s. Targeted reopening: fall 2026.
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Trader Joe's Confirmed
Opening at 8101 Eldorado Parkway as part of the chain's national expansion push this year.
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FY 2026 Budget Adopted
$942M total budget, $232.1M general fund. Property tax rate lowered for the fifth consecutive year.
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Encore Wire / Prysmian
Groundbreaking complete on a $500M medium-voltage cable manufacturing facility, a major industrial commitment to McKinney.
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Byron Nelson Extended
The CJ Cup Byron Nelson partnership with TPC Craig Ranch has been extended through 2029.
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Subscriber Giveaway
Win Tickets to the
CJ Cup Byron Nelson
We're giving away 2 grounds passes to one day of the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. Two simple steps to enter:
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Submit the Entry Form
Takes less than a minute
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02
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Subscribe to the MEDC YouTube Channel
Stay up to date on all things McKinney
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One winner selected at random. Winner notified by email. No purchase necessary.
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Fueled by vision.
Grounded in community.
Texas Innovation Starts Here
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McKinney Economic Development Corporation
7300 SH 121, Suite 200 · McKinney, TX 75070
UniqueMcKinney.com
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