McKINNEY, Texas – Construction will start soon on two separate conference centers in McKinney, Texas. One will be built at Collin College’s Central Park Campus and the other at a 90-acre development site called Gateway.
Officials remain confident that the two sites won’t compete, but coexist with enough business for both.
“We’re not competing with the private sector of with the community,” said Lisa Vasquez, vice president of public relations and college development. “We are building [the Collin College conference center] for the student body’s growth and to accommodate the college.”
Collin College expects to break ground on a 24,000-square-foot conference center at its McKinney campus by the end of May. The conference center, plus a next door health science center, will cost an estimated $40 million and take about 15 months. The site will host both educational and non-educational groups at the conference center.
The Sheraton McKinney hotel began in recent months at Gateway. Its connected 20,000-square-foot conference center should begin construction in the next few weeks.
The McKinney campus’ new conference center will accommodate 1,000 people, which is up from 350 people at its current conference center. The site will seat 500 at round tables, and have the capability to split into smaller sections for two 900-square-foot classrooms.
Officials estimate the Sheraton McKinney hotel and conference center will cost about $38 million. The 186-room Sheraton hotel and conference center is expected to open by February. The center will feature a 7,500-square-foot ballroom dividable into six meeting rooms; a 500-square-foot boardroom; two 750-square-foot meeting rooms and two 500-square-foot meeting rooms.
“I anticipate [the college’s conference center] will be more educational-centered,” said Barry Shelton, interim assistant city manager. “There may be some people who would look at either and choose one over the other, but I think we have plenty of population and business here in McKinney that can support both conference centers.”
For more information, read the McKinney Courier-Gazette article or visit www.visitmckinney.com and www.sheratonmckinney.com.
