The center of downtown McKinney is open ground right now. Two full city blocks where City Hall used to stand are cleared and waiting for whatever comes next. The McKinney Performing Arts Center sits dark through most of 2026 while crews gut the interior and rebuild the seating. And out at Craig Ranch, 327 apartments are going up on 4.7 acres inside the town center, targeting pre-leasing by mid-2027.

None of this shows up on a Zillow listing. You can tour a house four blocks off the square and have no idea the entire center of town is under construction. I read through the city council agendas and local news archives so you don't have to, and I pulled together what's actually changing across McKinney, Craig Ranch, Aster Park, Melissa, Anna, Van Alstyne, Celina, and Prosper heading into 2026.

Here's what matters: the projects reshaping these suburbs right now, the neighborhoods where new homes are actually being built, the school district lines that don't follow city boundaries, and the events happening across the region later this year. I'm Connor Hornsby, your North Texas realtor. I moved my family here from Northern California, and I work across all seven of these cities and more.

Historic downtown McKinney is the single biggest reason people pay more to live here instead of the suburb next door. The square, the shops, the restaurants, the weekend crowds. When I take buyers from California, Washington, New York, or Florida through McKinney, the square is the thing that sells them every single time. And a lot of folks assume downtown is finished, that it's just a preserved little historic district and nothing ever changes. That's far from the truth.

Table of Contents

• McKinney: Downtown Demolition and What It Means for Buyers
• Craig Ranch: 327 Apartments Coming to McKinney's Walkable Town Center
• Aster Park: Luxury Homes in Northwest McKinney Starting at $600k 
• Melissa: Downtown Square Development and New Rental Communities
• Anna: Following McKinney's Downtown Playbook
• Van Alstyne: Early-Stage Downtown Investment
• Celina: Building a Square from Scratch
• Prosper: Why the ISD Matters More Than the City Name
• Timing Your North Texas Scouting Trip: Oktoberfest and Holiday Events
• Here's My Honest Take on North Texas Heading Into 2026

McKinney: Downtown Demolition and What It Means for Buyers

On April 13th, crews started demolition on the former City Hall at North Tennessee Street. The old Development Service Building right across at 221 North Tennessee came down as well. City Council approved the contract on March 17th, and the demolition phase was expected to take about 120 days. It's all part of what the city calls the Downtown City-Owned Property Redevelopment Project.

Two full city blocks in the center of downtown McKinney are now open ground. What goes back on that site hasn't been fully laid out yet, so I'm not going to guess for you. But this is a big deal in a place where the square is the main attraction. If you're shopping homes for sale in McKinney TX within walking distance of the town square right now, you're walking into construction traffic today and a very different downtown in a few years.

The demolition isn't the only thing going down there. The McKinney Performing Arts Center is closed for most of 2026 while it goes through a $10 million renovation, according to Community Impact. This is the first major renovation that building has had since the early 2000s. The plans include new theater seating, a refresh on the public restrooms, plus a bunch of infrastructure work you'll never see but absolutely need in a building that old.

The Performing Arts Center sits right on the square. It's the old Collin County Courthouse, and for a lot of people around here, it's the anchor of the downtown nightlife. Dinner on the square, then a show. That closure hits the businesses around here harder than you think. When a venue like that goes dark for the better part of a year, the restaurants and bars feel it. Fewer people driving in on a Friday night. When it reopens with new seating and a better system, it pulls those crowds back into the nightlife we have here.

Add it up with the demolition and you've got a downtown that's being rebuilt in two places at once. This is the kind of detail that never shows up on a listing you view on Zillow. I tell every buyer I take through downtown McKinney this exact thing. It changes how you read the neighborhood. And this isn't just a McKinney thing. Downtown squares in Melissa, Celina, and Van Alstyne are all in earlier stages of the same kind of public investment. Expect more of this as those cities catch up.

Craig Ranch: 327 Apartments Coming to McKinney's Walkable Town Center

Three hundred twenty-seven apartments are coming to Craig Ranch according to Community Impact. The project is called Palladium Craig Ranch. It's going in at 7909 Colin McKinney Parkway on about 4.7 acres inside the Craig Ranch Town Center. All in, it's over 275,000 square feet of rentable space. The mix is mostly one- and two-bedroom units. Construction was expected to start in early 2026. Pre-leasing is targeted for mid-2027 with the first move-ins that summer.

I know what you're thinking, why am I talking about apartment complexes instead of single-family homes? Because of how relocation works. A huge chunk of the people I work with don't buy the first month they land here. It's great if they do, but they rent for a year first. Sometimes they want to drive the commute and figure out which side of town fits their needs. They also want to see a Texas summer before they commit to six figures. And the best part about it, those builders can help you break rent if you find something during that first year lease.

Craig Ranch is one of the few places in McKinney that can do that inside a walkable town center, not out on a highway frontage road. Melissa and Anna are starting to see the same kind of rental community show up in those areas as well. A lot of things here are just a step behind where McKinney is headed.

The other side of it is what it says about Craig Ranch itself. Nobody puts 327 units on 4.7 acres in a place they think is slowing down. That's a bet on density and demand in that pocket. So if you're not ready to buy yet or unsure of the location, put this on your radar for 2027. And if you already own near Craig Ranch, know that a few hundred new households are moving in within walking distance of you.

Aster Park: Luxury Homes in Northwest McKinney Starting at $600k 

The other end of the price range looks completely different. I've covered some of the most affordable new construction homes North Texas has to offer in other videos. That's a real part of this market and I'll keep covering it, but northwest McKinney is where the other end lives.

Aster Park is a newer luxury community on the northwest side of McKinney in Collin County . Homes start here around $600,000 and go past $1.2 million. Some addresses in it are rare because they're zoned for the sought-after Prosper ISD rather than McKinney ISD. And no knock on McKinney ISD, it is a good school district. Prosper is just one level above.

That school district detail is something I want you to hold on to, because in this part of Collin County, district lines do not follow city lines. I know it's confusing. You can buy a house with a McKinney address that sits in Prosper ISD. This isn't unique to McKinney either. The same mismatch shows up in Celina and Prosper too. It happens wherever new development fills in the gaps between cities.

I've watched buyers assume the city name on the mailbox tells them the district. It doesn't. And by the time you find out, you're already under contract and putting in your final deposit. What's bigger than the school district though is finding out your tax rate. Two houses on the same road can carry two different tax rates depending on whether they're inside a MUD district or a PID district. Those are special districts that add to your tax bill to pay for things like roads and water lines.

On a $700,000 house, a difference in the rate is real money every month, pretty much forever. So when you're comparing new construction homes North Texas across the region, pull the real district and real tax rate for that specific lot, not the community, the lot itself. That's exactly the kind of detail that costs people real money when they get it wrong. I've seen people move here and after one year try to sell in those districts, and they end up having a hard time and ultimately losing a lot of money.

Melissa: Downtown Square Development and New Rental Communities

Melissa is working on its own downtown square development right now, just a step or two behind McKinney. Rental communities are starting to appear here as well, following the same pattern Craig Ranch is seeing. Melissa has its own downtown holiday events, and the city is investing in the kind of public spaces that pull people in on weekends.

The downtown square isn't finished yet, but the bones are there. If you're looking at homes for sale in North Texas and you want the walkable town center vibe without paying McKinney premiums, Melissa is worth a look. The trade-off is that you're buying into a place that's still building out its identity. The square isn't the draw yet, it's the promise of what it will be in a few years.

Builder incentives, tax rates, and school district lines all change depending on which suburb you're in and what your budget actually is. Get the MUD or PID tax rate wrong on a $500,000 house and you're paying for that mistake every month for the next 30 years. Register with the builder before you have representation and you may have just handed away the one person negotiating on your side, because that sales rep does not work for you, they work for the builder.

Anna: Following McKinney's Downtown Playbook

Anna is on the same timeline as Melissa. The city is working on a downtown square development, and rental communities are starting to appear here as well. Anna has its own downtown holiday events, and the city is following McKinney's playbook step by step.

The difference between Anna and McKinney right now is about five to seven years of development. McKinney's square is the anchor of the city. Anna's square is still being built. If you're okay with that gap, Anna offers a lower entry point into the same kind of community McKinney has become. If you need the square to already be there, stick with McKinney or wait a few years.

The school district lines here don't follow city boundaries either. You can buy a house with an Anna address and end up in a different ISD than you expected. Verify the district for the specific lot, not just the community or city name. That's the rule across this entire region.

Van Alstyne: Early-Stage Downtown Investment

Van Alstyne is working on its own downtown square development as well, and it has its own downtown holiday events. The city is earlier in the process than McKinney, Melissa, or Anna, but the investment is happening. If you're looking at moving to North Texas and you want to buy into a place before it takes off, Van Alstyne is worth a look.

The trade-off is that you're buying into a place that's still figuring out what it wants to be. The square isn't the draw yet. The schools, the commute, the tax rate, those are the things that matter right now. The square will matter in a few years, but it's not there yet.

Same rule applies here: verify the school district and tax rate for the specific lot. City lines don't tell you the district, and the district is what drives resale value in this part of Collin County .

Celina: Building a Square from Scratch

Celina is working on a downtown square development from an earlier stage than McKinney. The city has its own downtown holiday events, and the investment is real. But Celina is building a square from scratch, not renovating one that's been there for a hundred years.

District lines don't follow city lines here either. You can buy a house with a Celina address and end up zoned for Prosper ISD instead of Celina ISD. That's a huge deal if you're moving to North Texas with school-age kids. Verify the district for the specific lot before you make an offer.

Celina is one of the fastest-growing cities in the region, and a lot of that growth is happening on the north side where new construction is filling in. If you're looking at homes for sale in Celina TX , know that you're buying into a place that's still building out its infrastructure. The square will be a draw eventually, but it's not there yet.

Prosper: Why the ISD Matters More Than the City Name

Prosper ISD is considered one level above McKinney ISD. That's not a knock on McKinney, it's just the reality of how buyers rank districts in this part of Collin County . And here's the thing: district lines don't follow city boundaries. You can buy a house with a McKinney address or a Celina address and end up zoned for Prosper ISD.

That mismatch shows up all over northwest McKinney, Celina, and Prosper. It happens wherever new development fills in the gaps between cities. I've watched buyers assume the city name on the mailbox tells them the district. It doesn't. And by the time you find out, you're already under contract.

Two houses on the same road can carry two different tax rates depending on whether they're inside a MUD district or a PID district. On a $700,000 house, a difference in the rate is real money every month, pretty much forever. So when you're comparing new construction homes North Texas across the region, pull the real district and real tax rate for that specific lot, not the community, the lot itself.

Builder incentives, tax rates, and school district lines all change depending on which suburb you're in and what your budget actually is. Get the MUD or PID tax rate wrong on a $500,000 house and you're paying for that mistake every month for the next 30 years. Register with the builder before you have representation and you may have just handed away the one person negotiating on your side, because that sales rep does not work for you, they work for the builder.

Timing Your North Texas Scouting Trip: Oktoberfest and Holiday Events

The biggest weekend on the downtown square happens in September. McKinney Oktoberfest runs September 25th through the 27th of 2026. It's an incredible event where McKinney residents and those from outside come in for three days of live music, food, activities, and the admission is free.

If you've never been, understand the scale of this thing. The square shuts down completely. Tens of thousands of people come in from all over Collin County . People know McKinney for this event across the entire region. So it's a cool event, I get it. Why would you fly in for it?

I bring this up for a specific reason. If you're moving to McKinney Texas from out of state and you're planning a scouting trip, this is the weekend to probably book. You get to see the downtown at its absolute best, you get a feel for the crowd, and you can spend the rest of the weekend driving neighborhoods while everyone else is downtown. You can go to areas like Melissa, Celina, Van Alstyne, Anna, Prosper, and Frisco, or anywhere in North Texas that you want to see, and I'm happy to accommodate you as well.

I tell people all the time that you can't judge a suburb from a Google Street View. You have to stand in it and feel as if you're living there for that weekend. And there's no better weekend to stand in downtown McKinney than the last weekend of September. One quick note though, it's a great event, but downtown parking on that weekend is an absolute fight. Plan for it, get there early, and don't try to drive across the square between noon and 10 PM because there's a lot going on and it's going to be shut down.

If fall doesn't work for your trip, there is another one. McKinney does Christmas on the square and it starts the last weekend of November. The event is called Home for the Holidays and it takes over the historic downtown McKinney square just like Oktoberfest. Friday night is the Christmas tree lighting and that kicks off the full month of holiday programming downtown through December.

It's worth coming, it's worth checking out. You can even bring your kids and get a picture with Santa Claus as your first Christmas in Texas. If you're coming from an area that has snow, we probably won't have snow since last year we had 85 degrees on Christmas Day, but trust me, the weather is going to be different this year.

I'll be honest with you about why this one matters more than it sounds. When my family moved here from Northern California, the thing we were nervous about wasn't the house, it was whether the place would feel like home. You leave everything you know and you're betting on a town you visited just twice? It's stressful, I get it, and doing it by myself made things even harder.

Downtown McKinney in December is the answer to that question. The square lights up, the shops stay open late, and it looks like a movie set. And there's a practical angle to this. A lot of relocating buyers move over the winter because of the school calendar. If that's you, this is a good week to be here. And trust me, it's not going to be that cold.

Rates and prices tend to be softer late in the year as well, and builders are pushing to hit year-end numbers. Whether you're looking in McKinney or the surrounding suburbs I work in, it's a good idea to try to catch a deal by the end of 2026. And if you can't make it to McKinney that weekend, Melissa, Celina, Van Alstyne, and Anna all have their own downtown holiday events as well. So if you're timing a trip, late November gives you the holidays downtown and a decent window to negotiate. And trust me, these builders will negotiate incentives, rate buydowns, and price.

Here's My Honest Take on North Texas Heading Into 2026

The teardown downtown, the 327 apartments going up in Craig Ranch, the new luxury homes out in Aster Park, all of it hits your wallet differently depending on which street you buy on. And the same patterns are showing up everywhere.

Buy on the wrong side of the district line in northwest McKinney and you're in a school district you didn't plan for. Miss the MUD or PID tax rate on a new build and you're overpaying every month for the next 30 years. Walk into a builder's model home before you have representation, and you may have given up your negotiating power on a $500,000 purchase. And like I mentioned before, the builder does not work for you.

So if you're moving to Dallas Fort Worth or anywhere else across North Texas, talk to somebody who lives here. I made the same move myself with my family, and I run the real payment math on new construction before you sign anything. Click the first link in my description below and grab my free North Texas relocation guide . It's going to break down cities like McKinney, Melissa, Celina, Van Alstyne, Prosper, Anna, and Frisco by budget, plus the school district lines and the tax rates on each one will be included.

Call or text me, and I’ll help you find the option that best fits your needs. I hope to hear from you soon, and I look forward to seeing you in North Texas.