Allen will launch several exciting projects this year, thanks to bond funding approved by voters in 2016.
Allen City Council approved the issuance of approximately $13 million in general obligation bonds during the meeting on May 23. The City will use that money to expand the Allen Public Library parking lot, redesign the Central Fire Station, and launch various street improvement projects. The money will also help fund a police firearms training center located at the new Collin College Public Safety Training Center in McKinney.
Bonds are a common financing method used by cities to spread the cost of large projects over time. In May 2016, Allen voters approved a $93 million bond package to be used over the next seven years to build new facilities, improve city streets, purchase additional parkland and enhance the city with public art.
Though construction timelines are still being finalized, the Allen Public Library parking lot project is expected to add 106 new spaces by late fall. The City plans to create an additional 154 parking spaces in the years ahead as the library is expanded and renovated.