Trophy Club consultants present two concepts for ‘The Groves’ small-area plan; council debates housing, roads and parking

At a joint work session of the Town of Trophy Club and the Economic Development Corporation on a date not specified, consultants from McAdams and retail advisor Catalyst Commercial presented two small-area plan concepts for the area near U.S. 114 and Trophywood Drive, asking the town and the EDC to choose broad policy directions before staff prepares a preferred plan.

The Groves at Trophy Club plan is intended as a guiding, nonregulatory document that would show options for mixed-use development, pedestrian-focused streets, a signature public gathering space and phased infrastructure improvements. Marissa Brewer, a planner with McAdams, told the group the two concepts are “feasible” and summarized tradeoffs between the two plans, including an option that keeps the current Trophywood Drive alignment and an option that realigns the roadway.

Why it matters: the parcel set along Highway 114 is the most prominent remaining site for redevelopment in Trophy Club’s commercial corridor. EDC-owned and town-owned parcels in the plan area are currently tax-exempt; consultants said a built-out version of the preferred concept could generate new sales and property tax revenues and support public amenities. At the work session, council members focused debate on whether residential uses should be allowed, whether any multi-unit housing must be owner-occupied rather than rental, and whether the town should pursue a road realignment that would change Trophywood Drive’s role.

Consultants’ conclusions and fiscal figures

Jamieson and Marissa Brewer of McAdams and Chris Branham of Catalyst Commercial framed the two concepts as options rather than final designs. “These plans work. Okay? They work,” Brewer said, describing the concepts as realistic, buildable examples used to show capacity, phasing and supporting infrastructure. Branham, a retail consultant, summarized market analysis showing retail demand in the broader trade area and said retail vacancy in the Dallas–Fort Worth region has been low in recent years.

On fiscal impacts, the team presented high-level estimates tied to the two concept scenarios. Marissa Brewer said the concept that includes a roadway realignment and Building 9 produced an estimated combined sales- and property-tax yield of about $1.1 million per year, and an aggregated revenue of roughly $11 million by the 10-year mark under the study assumptions. Jamieson presented a rough order-of-magnitude estimate of about $1.6 million for the Trophywood Drive realignment, a figure the team described as elevated because it included streetscape and right-of-way work.

Debate over housing: apartments, condos and political constraints

Much of the council discussion revolved around whether the Groves plan should include residential uses, and if so what form they should take. Consultants repeatedly framed the area plan as a guidance document that would not itself change zoning; any future development would require a formal rezoning application and council approval.

Council members and EDC representatives wrestled with tradeoffs: residential (particularly for-sale condos or owner-occupied units) can support daytime retail, shared parking and the financial case for structured parking, but many speakers warned that “multifamily” and traditional rental apartments are politically sensitive in Trophy Club.

Branded trade-offs voiced at the meeting included: - Several council members and long-term residents said Trophy Club voters historically oppose traditional rental apartment developments and that any residential product would need to be acceptable to the community and to the council’s future decision-making. One attendee characterized conventional rental apartments as a local “third rail.” (discussion; no formal vote) - Multiple participants suggested ownership-based units (condominiums or for-sale townhomes) or age-targeted options (55+ or senior living) could be more politically acceptable while still helping support ground-floor retail and shared parking. - McAdams staff and EDC members noted that omitting residential entirely would reduce the plan’s ability to fund or support place-making amenities and structured parking, and could reduce developer interest.

Roads, parking and placemaking

The two plan variants differ most visibly in roadway layout. Concept 2 includes a realigned Trophywood Drive and parking and plaza space near Town Hall; Concept 2B leaves the existing Trophywood alignment but proposes on-street angled parking and a civic plaza. Jamieson and Brewer said the realignment option would better orient development toward an interior network and away from direct frontage on 114, but council members said any change that makes Trophywood Drive a more constrained thoroughfare could slow traffic for one-third of the town’s residents and should be approached cautiously.

Council discussion also highlighted a set of practical constraints: - The large asphalt parking area in front of HD Supply was discussed as a key parcel. The team and EDC noted existing easements over that parking area that limit developability; one council member summarized that as “undevelopable land” unless the easement is resolved. - Structured parking was presented as expensive. Participants cited recent parking structure costs in other cities as a caution; the consultants said a garage would likely be a major capital item requiring public–private negotiation and potentially public incentives like tax increment financing. - A visible civic open space in front of Town Hall was a recurring preference, but EDC members said that amenity will likely need to be developer‑led or financed through partnership tools to avoid sacrificing commercial value of EDC‑owned parcels.

Decisions, directions and next steps

No votes were taken at the work session. The meeting concluded with a set of procedural next steps and staff directions: McAdams will prepare a preferred-concept plan and a simplified final document that shows short-, medium- and long-term stages without overly articulated building designs; the EDC will use the finished plan as a marketing and negotiation tool; and staff will include an implementation section that lists potential funding or policy tools (including tax-increment financing options) for council consideration.

Marissa Brewer said the final plan will be packaged as a guiding document and will omit the detailed development program from the public plan if council prefers broader graphic “polygons” rather than highly articulated building renderings. The EDC also asked staff to bring forward options related to the town’s tax-increment or TIF-like financing tool so the council and EDC can consider boundary and term changes.

Ending

The work session closed with McAdams and EDC members agreeing to use meeting feedback to refine a preferred-concept package and implementation strategies for a future council work session. Staff said they would return with a simpler, staged plan and the EDC would begin using the product to pursue developer interest. No formal policy change or zoning decision was made at the session.