How McKinney Plans for 400,000 Residents and a 24/7 Digital Ecosystem
On The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Lisa Hermes of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce and Sherrod Davis of EcoMap to unpack how one of Texas' fastest-growing cities is tackling water, infrastructure, data centers, and a centralized ecosystem platform built for round-the-clock entrepreneurs.
McKinney, TX (Newsworthy.ai) Sunday May 31, 2026 @ 7:23 AM CDT
The Building Texas Show — McKinney's Bold Ecosystem Strategy for 400,000 Residents
Photo: Justin McKenzie
“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, kind of just depending on density and how that plays out.”
The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, titled McKinney's Bold Ecosystem Strategy for 400,000 Residents, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published May 27, 2026, takes listeners inside one of Texas' fastest-growing cities. Recorded on the ground in McKinney, the conversation features Lisa Hermes of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce and Sherrod Davis of EcoMap, the Baltimore-based technology company now partnering with North Texas communities. With McKinney's population having more than doubled in a decade, from 100,000 to 220,000, and headed toward 400,000 at buildout, the episode is a timely look at how growth decisions are being made in real time.
The discussion ranges across the pressures and opportunities reshaping the DFW Metroplex, where Hermes notes 28% of all Texans now live. Topic threads include:
The Building Texas Show — McKinney's Bold Ecosystem Strategy for 400,000 Residents
Photo: Justin McKenzie
“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, kind of just depending on density and how that plays out.”
- Infrastructure planning for water, roads, broadband, and energy
- Data centers, electricity demand, and the looming state legislative debate
- How EcoMap centralizes events, funding, news, and resources onto a single platform
- The evolution of chambers of commerce beyond ribbon cuttings into trusted information hubs
- Major McKinney projects, including a new state-of-the-art amphitheater and the Cannon Beach development
Hermes describes the velocity of change candidly, telling McKenzie, "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." Davis frames EcoMap's mission in similarly direct terms:
"What we talk about at EcoMap is how do we centralize the activities and opportunities that exist within an ecosystem."
The two guests trade specific examples of how chambers are being reinvented as 24/7 digital front doors for entrepreneurs who, as Hermes puts it, "want at midnight to be able to find the information that they need."
The episode digs into the substance of how data is changing community building. Davis explains that EcoMap's customers consistently engage most with funding opportunities and community event calendars, while longer-tail analytics, including AI chatbot search data, give leaders like Hermes a quantitative read on what local businesses actually need. Hermes credits that visibility with helping the chamber design programming, workshops, and expert panels around real pain points. The conversation also spotlights McKinney's hyperlocal news strategy through McKinneyToday.com, a partnership posture with Community Impact and founder John Garrett, and McKinney's role as host of the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament.
About The Building Texas Show
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, profiles the founders, civic leaders, and operators shaping the state's economy from Austin and Houston to the DFW Metroplex and beyond. The show focuses on the stories behind Texas' growth: how communities plan, how entrepreneurs build, and how technology and policy intersect on the ground. This episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard, and at buildingtexasshow.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How fast is McKinney, Texas growing, and what's driving the change?
- According to Lisa Hermes of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, McKinney has grown from 100,000 residents a decade ago to 220,000 today, with buildout projected near 400,000 depending on density. The surge is part of broader North Texas expansion, with Hermes noting that 28% of all Texans now live in the DFW Metroplex counties surrounding Dallas and Fort Worth.
- What is EcoMap and how is it working with McKinney?
- EcoMap is a Baltimore-based technology company, led in this conversation by Sherrod Davis, that centralizes the activities and opportunities within a local ecosystem onto one platform. In McKinney, it helps the Chamber surface events, funding, resources, and news so entrepreneurs and small businesses can find what they need around the clock rather than during traditional 8-to-5 hours.
- Why are chambers of commerce evolving beyond ribbon cuttings?
- Hermes explains that while chambers still print maps and host ribbon cuttings, businesses increasingly need a problem solver that removes pain points and validates resources quickly. By layering EcoMap's data, analytics, and AI chatbot insights on top of traditional services, the McKinney Chamber can identify community needs in real time and build programming, workshops, and expert panels in response.
- What infrastructure challenges come with McKinney's growth?
- Hermes points to water, roads, broadband, and energy as core planning concerns. She specifically flags data centers and their heavy electricity demand as a likely focus of the upcoming Texas legislative session, framing these as "good challenges to have" but ones that require active coordination from chambers and community leaders.
- What do users most often look for on EcoMap's platform?
- Davis says funding opportunities consistently drive the highest engagement — "everybody wants funding." Community event calendars are the next most popular feature, helping conveners like Hermes promote programming without duplicating efforts. Longer-tail analytics then show chambers which categories and resources their audiences engage with, informing investment decisions on programs and partnerships.
- What major McKinney projects and local news efforts were highlighted?
- Hermes spotlighted a new state-of-the-art amphitheater, the Cannon Beach development (modeled on a project in Arizona), and McKinney's role hosting the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament. To address what she calls a media desert, the Chamber also runs McKinneyToday.com, partnering with Community Impact and covering local issues like affordable housing, city council, and school board decisions.
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