$2B Fields West nears new phase of construction in Frisco
‘Elegant’ design planned for urban village
Construction on the $2 billion Fields West project in Frisco is expected to begin in June, according to master developer Fehmi Karahan.
The mixed-use village is expected to bring apartments, stores, restaurants, office space and two hotels to the heart of the larger $10 billion Fields development.
The project is a testament to Karahan’s vision to attract younger employees to a modern workspace and give them an urban experience. It also aims to be a sustainable development that will stand the test of time.
According to Karahan, after the heavy equipment moves some more dirt around and regrades the soil, developers intend to go vertical on the first phase of the project this summer.
The project from The Karahan Companies and Hunt Realty Investments Inc. is designed to be the newest pearl on a string of mega-developments stretching along the Dallas North Tollway. Fields West is planned at the DNT and Panther Creek Parkway.
Karahan is well known for developing another pearl of a project, the wildly successful $3 billion Legacy West mixed-use village, just across from The Shops at the Village and eight miles down the tollway from Fields West. With 415,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space, a 55,000-square-foot food hall, more than 1,300 residential units and a 303-room Renaissance Hotel, the Legacy West stands as one of the largest mixed-use projects in North Texas. It houses the North American headquarters of Toyota and regional offices for JPMorgan Chase and Liberty Mutual insurance, among others.
Roughly halfway between Legacy West and Fields lies The Star in Frisco, another standout development along the tollway. The Star is home to the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters and practice facilities along with high-rise offices, apartments and condos, upscale restaurants, bars and shops.
While the Fields West project has been on the drawing board for a few years, it’s starting to take shape in reality, after Frisco’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved several site plans and rezonings. Site work, led by Frisco-based Sinacola, is well underway. The construction company will correct the soil on the hilly site and prepare the land for future development, said Julien Meyrat, senior designer with architecture firm Gensler.
Gensler is the chief design firm for Fields West and has been working closely with Karahan to finalize drawings for the site. The firm was also responsible for the design of Legacy West.
“Fortunately, [Legacy West] was quite a success, so there’s a lot of things we didn’t have to learn again,” Meyrat said. “It was already a great example.”
The two projects have been described as “interesting sisters” — connected at the root but having their own unique personality.
“I’ve learned from my sister’s success but I express my own individuality,” Meyrat said of the Fields West project. “I want to express my own character.”
Fields West is also one block larger than Legacy West — that’s about 500 feet longer, or nearly 20% bigger than its sister in Plano, according to Karahan.
Fields West architects and Karahan describe it as a city within a city. The broader Fields development is already home to the PGA of Americas headquarters, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort and the first wave of what’s planned to be 5,000 luxury single-family homes. Construction is also ramping up on Universal Kids Resort, a 97-acre theme park with rides, shows, restaurants and a 300-room hotel. At 2,544 acres, Fields overall is more than 10 times bigger than Legacy West.
Aiming for an ‘urban experience’
Karahan aims for Fields West to be a destination for workers, especially younger ones who desire a seamless blend of work and play. Corporate tenants were attracted to Legacy West as somewhere workers can go downstairs for coffee, go out for lunch in the area and then return to the office for the rest of the day.
“I think it’s for office tenants that have younger workers who enjoy the work-life-leisure balance that they demand for their work day to be,” Meyrat said.
Meyrat noted many popular mall brands have created concepts at outdoor retail centers, which have become a more fashionable way to shop. The outdoors present an opportunity for people to have a memorable experience and share it on social media for their whole network to see, he added.
“Fields West is kind of the embodiment of what’s going on in the retail landscape right now,” Meyrat said. “Something that’s more outdoor, something that kind of restores the idea of the city experience, the urban experience.”
Most recently, the advent of online shopping shifted priorities for shoppers, he said. Shopping is no longer just about acquiring the goods or services, but rather centers around the ambiance of a center and nearby amenities available to customers.
In addition to several restaurants and dining patios in the blueprints, Meyrat said Fields West will include a food hall, similar to Legacy West.
Karahan would not reveal the names of any of the office or retail tenants for the project but said an announcement should come in the next few months. Tenants at Fields West will resemble Legacy West’s portfolio with a mix of national and international brands along with some local flavors, he said.
Timeless design
Fields West also aims to stand out in terms of design. Designers are striving to achieve a modern look to the urban village — something to stand the test of time, Meyrat said.
“In 50 years time, it’s still going to look very pleasing to the eye,” he said. “And it’s not going to say it was designed back in 2024.”
While Legacy West’s design responded to the trends at the time, Meyrat said he envisions Field West’s design to be “a bit more elegant.” The project will likely feature many neutral colors, clean shapes and simple forms for a clean and timeless look.
Similar to Legacy, Fields also aims to be a pedestrian-friendly concept. However, unlike Legacy, Fields will include a lake component, with the end of the project likely to include multiple water features such as fountains. That element, though, is still in the works.
For now, construction of Fields West is split into three phases. The first phase represents the first third of the project, encompassing four large blocks with a mix of retail, office and multifamily components. Two parking garages are expected to be included in each sequence.
The whole project is expected to be complete by 2027, if the construction timeline for the three sequences remains on track.