The southeast corner of Stonebridge Drive and Virginia Street is turning into something found in Central Europe and the Mediterranean rather than the typical office buildings found in Texas.That’s exactly what the Blackard Group Inc. wants to accomplish at the Adriatica Croatian Village in Stonebridge, which is being developed on 45 acres at the southeast corner of the intersection. The village will also feature a harbor district that will include 68-foot-long docked galleon, bell tower, 74-room hotel, and other structures when the district is completed.The 22-foot-wide Croatian galleon will be docked in the harbor and will have four levels. The one level that will be accessible to the public will feature an ice cream and coffee shop. Its five sails will be furrowed, and will be tied to a dock to prevent movement. It should resemble the Galleon Dubrovnik and should have three masts.The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission should review the maintenance agreement for the galleon on June 12, said Steve Johnson, director of international public relations and corporate communication of the Blackard Group, managing partner of the Adriatica. City Council will review the maintenance agreement on the galleon on June 19.Because most cities do not have a ship that will not be used for sailing docked in a small lake that will feature masts and sails, along with ice cream and coffee for sale, the galleon’s maintenance agreement took a little longer to finalize than most maintenance agreements.“Everybody took their time to make sure this document was right,” Johnson said.The galleon will be made from eutuba Brazilian wood, which means iron wood in Spanish. The wood will be strong and heavy, and will give the galleon its antique look.“Almost every comment we have had from people about the galleon has been from people who are very excited and supportive about it,” Johnson said.After the P&Z commission and council take action on the agreement, construction can begin on the galleon, which should happen once the harbor dries out, Johnson said.The district will also have a four-story building that may house a 3,000-square-foot city library on the first floor, on Mediterranean Drive. The city is still exploring the option of having the village library at the Adriatica, and public input meetings about the village library were not scheduled as of Tuesday, according to Library Director Beth Scudder.The district will also feature the five-story B Hotel, which will be a Venetian style boutique hotel. It will not have a restaurant as there will be numerous restaurants located throughout the Adriatica for people to choose from, including one on an island, Johnson said.The Solano building will feature three restaurants, one of which might feature Mediterranean seafood, on the first floor and the second floor will have condominiums.“With the completion of Adriatica, McKinney will now have a triple crown that no other city has. We have the historic downtown, Craig Ranch and the Adriatica, which are all unique and have attractions for different people,” Johnson said.A Dallas oil company which is moving to McKinney will be housed in the top floor of the building, Johnson said. He would not release the oil company’s name.The 128-foot-tall, seven-story bell tower will be located near the waterfront of the harbor district, and is currently under construction. It should be completed later this year, Johnson said. The top floor of the tower may have a bridal suite that will be part of the B Hotel, Johnson said.Construction is also currently ongoing on a fountain that will be made from 147 tons of Indian limestone. The fountain will feature a carved dove that will be holding an olive branch at its central point that will be called the Promise, Johnson said. The fountain will be southeast of the Kastle that houses the Keller Williams real estate office that fronts Virginia Parkway, Johnson said. The groundbreaking for the harbor district should happen within the next two years, Johnson said.
