Construction on the Cannon Beach surf resort development in McKinney has reached a key early milestone, with crews completing excavation work for the project’s planned surf lagoon. The work clears the way for vertical construction on a $200 million destination that is designed to blend recreational, hospitality and commercial uses in a single, master-planned environment.
According to reporting cited from the Dallas Business Journal, Cannon Beach is planned around a 3.3-acre surf pool that anchors the project’s programming. The lagoon is budgeted at $6 million and is envisioned as the centerpiece of a broader water- and activity-focused amenity mix intended to attract regional visitors once the project is fully operational.
The surf-centric amenities are expected to include not only the main surf pool but also a lazy river, cliff-jump platforms, a sandy beach area and cabanas. These features are planned alongside a range of supporting uses that collectively position Cannon Beach as a mixed-use resort environment rather than a single-purpose attraction.
In addition to outdoor recreation components, the development plan calls for restaurants and retail shops, an indoor action sports facility, a spa, a resort hotel and office space. The combination of experiential amenities, hospitality offerings and workspace is intended to create an all-day and potentially multi-day destination, supporting both leisure and business-oriented demand.
Construction is currently targeted to conclude in March 2027, marking a significant delivery date for the project’s initial phase. The overall build-out timeline for Cannon Beach is expected to span approximately four years, reflecting the scale and complexity of the mixed-use program. While detailed phasing beyond the lagoon milestone is not specified, the stated schedule underscores a multi-year development horizon.
Once operational, Cannon Beach is projected to draw about 400,000 visitors per year. Over a 20-year period, the project is expected to generate more than $2 billion in economic impact, according to the project information cited. Those projections underscore the anticipated regional draw of a surf-focused resort and entertainment offering in McKinney.
Cross Architects is leading the design for Cannon Beach, providing the architectural vision for the surf lagoon and the broader resort environment. The development is being advanced as a partnership among Cannon, the city of McKinney, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation and the McKinney Community Development Corporation, reflecting a public-private structure that aligns municipal entities with a private development partner.
As construction progresses from site work into above-grade improvements, the Cannon Beach project is positioned to add a sizable new leisure, hospitality and commercial node within McKinney, while the partnership structure and stated economic impact projections point to its role as a long-term placemaking initiative for the area.
