McKinney Approves Contract for Downtown City Hall Demolition Starting April

Two downtown McKinney buildings that stood for decades as the city's civic center are weeks away from coming down. The McKinney City Council approved a contract with RNDI Companies during a March 17 meeting to demolish both the former City Hall and the adjacent Development Services building. Demolition is expected to begin in April, according to city officials.

The council approved the $434,237 contract with RNDI Companies Inc. for asbestos removal and demolition at the old City Hall building and the Development Services building. The contract breaks down to $283,022 for the City Hall structure at 222 N. Tennessee Street and $112,215 for the Development Services building, producing a net total of $395,237 before a $39,000 owner's contingency is added. RNDI Companies, Inc. is based in Rockwall, Texas and was chosen because its proposal "scored highest in the RFP process, particularly in pricing and firm qualifications," according to city agenda documents.

The scope of work goes beyond a simple teardown. Crews will perform interior and exterior asbestos abatement before conducting selective interior demolition for access, followed by full exterior demolition of both structures. The City Hall building also requires basement backfill once the structure is removed, a distinction tied to the building's unusual footprint. The building is the only downtown structure with a full basement that is accessible from the street.

Development Services Executive Director Michael Quint said the process is expected to take three months once it begins. During that window, the surrounding area will be significantly disrupted. Parking lots on both properties will be closed to the public during demolition, and some spots may be permanently removed due to site grading. "We want to preserve as much of that parking as we can for as long as we can, but during demolitions, a lot of that parking will be unavailable to the public," Quint said.

The city opened its new City Hall in January 2025, vacating both the old City Hall at 222 N. Tennessee St. and the old Development Services Building. City officials have been discussing redevelopment plans for several city-owned properties in downtown McKinney since 2023, though the effort stalled briefly in May 2025 before discussions resumed in August. The stall came after the city was unable to reach an agreement with M2G Ventures.

With the buildings cleared, what comes next remains in early stages. Preliminary conversations are underway with McKinney Economic Development Corp. on developing an office building at the former City Hall site, Quint said. "Right now, they're testing the market," he said. "They're not really going out and making any formal advertisements but they have had a number of conversations with folks approaching them." Schematic design is also underway for a proposed parking garage in downtown McKinney.

Longer-term infrastructure work in the surrounding blocks will follow in two phases. Public infrastructure work in the area is expected to occur in two phases, with the first starting in late 2026 and ending in late 2027, and the second running from early 2028 through late 2028. That work will include road reconstruction, restriping, and utility work. Quint acknowledged local business concerns: "We recognize that folks are worried about the business impacts of this type of construction. As we've done with every downtown redevelopment project, we will make sure that every business has pedestrian access to it.