McKinney, Texas, one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, is charting a course for a population of 400,000 residents at buildout, according to a recent episode of The Building Texas Show. The city's population has more than doubled in a decade, from 100,000 to 220,000, and local leaders are focusing on infrastructure and digital tools to manage the growth.
Lisa Hermes of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce and Sherrod Davis of EcoMap, a Baltimore-based technology company, discussed the city's strategy on the podcast hosted by Justin McKenzie. Hermes noted that 28% of all Texans now live in the DFW Metroplex, underscoring the region's rapid expansion. The conversation covered infrastructure planning for water, roads, broadband, and energy, as well as data centers, electricity demand, and the looming state legislative debate.
Central to McKinney's approach is a partnership with EcoMap, which creates a centralized digital platform for events, funding, news, and resources. Davis explained, "What we talk about at EcoMap is how do we centralize the activities and opportunities that exist within an ecosystem." The platform acts as a 24/7 digital front door for entrepreneurs who, as Hermes put it, "want at midnight to be able to find the information that they need."
Hermes emphasized that the chamber is evolving beyond traditional ribbon cuttings into a trusted information hub. EcoMap's data shows that users engage most with funding opportunities and community event calendars. Longer-tail analytics, including AI chatbot search data, provide quantitative insights into local business needs, helping the chamber design programming, workshops, and expert panels around real pain points.
Major projects in McKinney include a new state-of-the-art amphitheater and the Cannon Beach development. The city also has a hyperlocal news strategy through McKinneyToday.com and partnerships with Community Impact and founder John Garrett. McKinney also hosts the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament.
The episode, available at buildingtexasshow.com, highlights how McKinney is leveraging technology and data to plan for its future. Hermes noted the velocity of change: "10 years ago we were at 100,000 population. Now we're at 220,000 population, and at buildout we'll be closer to 400,000." The partnership with EcoMap aims to ensure that as the city grows, its ecosystem remains accessible and responsive to residents and businesses alike.
