A long-awaited transformation is inching closer to reality in Frisco, thanks to a major boost in state funding aimed at cleaning up one of the region’s most toxic industrial sites.
Texas State Representative Jared Patterson secured up to $24 million for the remediation of the former Exide Battery Recycling Center site, a critical step toward the future development of Grand Park. The site’s cleanup has long been viewed as essential to realizing the full potential of the 1,011-acre park that will stretch from the Dallas North Tollway west to FM 423 and Lake Lewisville.
"Grand Park is our favorite urban legend in Frisco," Mayor Jeff Cheney wrote on Facebook in 2022. Now the legend is one step closer to reality.
State-Backed Cleanup Unlocks Park Progress
This new funding, directed through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), allows Frisco to utilize the Hazardous and Solid Waste Remediation Fee Account to cover cleanup expenses over the next two years. Patterson first championed this initiative in 2021, when he helped secure an initial $3 million from the state for the same purpose.
“Frisco taxpayers should not bear the brunt of paying for the cleanup of this site, which served the state as the only battery recycling facility in Texas,” Patterson said in an official statement. “I’d like to thank the city of Frisco staff for working with me to bring attention to this matter."
The Exide site operated as a secondary lead smelter from 1964 through November 2012, processing used lead-acid batteries and other lead-bearing materials into various lead products. After decades of industrial use and mounting environmental concerns, the site’s future began to shift in October 2020 when the city of Frisco and its Community Development Corporation acquired the remaining 102 acres, formerly home to Exide’s industrial operations.
Grand Park: A Vision for All Ages
With the cleanup effort now fully funded, Frisco is turning its attention to the future of Grand Park, a massive, master-planned green space billed as a “world-class urban oasis.” The project aims to deliver more than just trails and picnic tables; it promises an inclusive destination for nature lovers, athletes, families and eventgoers alike.
From walks through untouched Blackland prairie to kayaking, pickleball and live music events, Grand Park is designed to support a wide array of outdoor experiences. Although the entire site spans more than 1,000 acres, the current master plan focuses on 287 acres split into five distinct districts.
What’s Coming to Grand Park
Each district in Grand Park offers something different:
- Civic Park (68.9 acres): Includes a large pond and peninsula, an event lawn for up to 7,500 people, a splash pad, climbing structures, kayak launch and food truck zones.
- Adventure Play (39 acres): Features wetland-themed playgrounds and signature play equipment designed to spark curiosity and activity.
- Sports Park (45.9 acres): Hosts spaces for tennis, pickleball, volleyball, table tennis, a ski park, dog park and disc golf.
- Botanic Garden (78.1 acres): Envisioned as a lush destination for weddings, education and relaxation, with curated gardens, a nature conservatory and open lawn spaces.
- Nature Center (36.7 acres): Protects native landscapes and offers trails through pristine Blackland Prairie terrain.
What’s Next
Frisco City Council approved a $394,000 contract in 2023 with global design firm IDEO to shape the community-driven vision for Grand Park. That process included workshops, public input sessions and surveys to establish design principles and project goals. Later that year, the city brought in Design Workshop, Inc. for site analysis and planning.
Construction on the park’s first phase, Civic Park, is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025. Design and construction for the remaining districts will follow over the next several years, with final completion expected by 2029.
With the Exide site finally on the path to full remediation, Frisco is one step closer to transforming a once-toxic industrial area into the city’s most ambitious public green space.
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