FRISCO To some, moving the Dallas Cowboys practice facility and headquarters to Frisco might seem like something that came out of the blue, but that's far from true.
Team owner Jerry Jones has been buying and developing land in Collin and Denton Counties for more than a decade. He currently owns more than 1,200 acres.
Where most people see farmland, Jones sees the future. And usually, he sees things right.
"Everyone that knows much about Jerry knows Jerry seems to have the magic touch," said Realtor Cheryl Webb. "Right now, probably the hottest areas are Frisco, Prosper, Celina."
And that is where Jerry Jones owns land.
Property records from Denton and Collin Counties show he owns more than 950 acres of land in Prosper. That's part of the 1,200-plus acres in the two counties he has purchased over the last decade.
Jones built the exclusive Starwood subdivision in Frisco, followed by Star Creek in Allen, through his development company Blue Star Land.
So moving his Cowboys empire to Collin County was not just out of the blue.
At Tuesday's official announcement, Frisco Mayor Maher Maso heaped praise on what Jones and his development company have achieved. "They're one of the first visionaries to invest in Frisco... visionaries who saw what was coming long ago," he said.
Jones is making promises about giving Frisco a return on its $115 million investment.
Once the Cowboys complex is complete by 2016, Jones agreed to hold at least one week of training camp there. He also agreed to market the city and develop an entertainment plaza at the complex that's expected to rival Victory Park in Dallas.
People in the real estate industry are well aware of Jones' past involvement in Collin County, Webb said. And they are not at all surprised he is perfectly positioned for where the future seems to be going.
"He's been here a long time," Webb said. "And once again, good job to Jerry."
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