Cedar Hill council approves MEN Collaborative to lead downtown master plan

The Cedar Hill City Council on April 8 unanimously authorized the mayor to execute an agreement with MEN Collaborative to serve as consultant for a downtown master plan.

Councilmembers and the consultant spent several minutes before the vote clarifying the contract timeline and deliverables. Councilmember McCurdy asked whether MEN Collaborative could deliver the plan within the city’s 10-month contract window and requested that the consultant open the first meeting with a short review of how the market has changed since the city’s original downtown plan. A consultant representative said the team expects to meet the schedule and can provide examples of similar regional projects, including Denton’s downtown plan and other mixed-use developments in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Councilmember McCurdy also asked if the consultant would work directly with developers and retailers. The consultant clarified that MEN Collaborative is a planning firm, not a broker, and that while it does not act in a brokerage capacity it can identify regional players and coordinate introductions through city staff.

After the questions, a motion to authorize the agreement passed unanimously.

The contract gives MEN Collaborative time and limited flexibility to deliver a market‑informed downtown plan. Councilmembers asked that the consultant’s initial meetings include (1) a brief explanation of how local market conditions differ from the earlier plan for Phillips Properties and (2) a preliminary list of target developers and retailers the city might engage. The council did not specify additional scope changes at the meeting.

The item was processed as a consent motion after the Q&A; no separate public hearing or amendment was made on the council floor.