How Has Fehmi Karahan Reshaped Plano, Frisco, and North Texas?
Published on: May 26, 2026
Updated on: October 5, 2026
Fehmi Karahan, president and CEO of The Karahan Companies, reshaped North Texas through The Shops at Legacy and the roughly $3 billion Legacy West in Plano, and now Fields, a 2,500-plus-acre development in Frisco. His projects drew employers like Toyota and the PGA of America to the region. Frontline Source Group backs every direct hire with a 5-Year Placement Warranty.
Table of contents
- Who is Fehmi Karahan?
- What is The Shops at Legacy?
- What is Legacy West, and why does it matter?
- What is Fields in Frisco?
- What recognition has Fehmi Karahan received?
- How have these projects shaped jobs in Plano and Frisco?
- How does Frontline Source Group help employers in Plano, Frisco, and Dallas?
- Frequently Asked Questions: Fehmi Karahan and North Texas Development
I founded Frontline Source Group in Dallas in 2004, and I have watched the Legacy corridor and Frisco grow into two of the region's biggest hiring markets. Frontline has completed 5,619 plus placements from 32 plus offices, with a 98.94% executive placement retention rate against an industry average near 70 percent and a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 679 plus verified reviews. It is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026, ranked #158 in 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA).
Who is Fehmi Karahan?
Fehmi Karahan is the president and CEO of The Karahan Companies, which he launched in 1984. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, he started in North Texas real estate in 1982 and moved into the region's top tier of development in 1999, when he bought land in Electronic Data Systems' Legacy corporate campus in Plano (Dallas Innovates). That land became Legacy Town Center, anchored by The Shops at Legacy, and set the pattern for the mixed-use projects that followed.
What defines his development approach?
Karahan builds places people use every day, not just properties. His projects mix offices, shops, restaurants, apartments, and hotels in pedestrian-friendly districts, so a corporate campus also becomes somewhere employees want to live, eat, and spend time. That combination is a big reason major employers have chosen his developments.
| Project | City | Timing | Scale and highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shops at Legacy (Legacy Town Center) | Plano | Began 1999 | Mixed-use town center on land within the EDS Legacy corporate campus |
| Legacy West | Plano | Launched 2014 | About 250 acres, roughly $3 billion; corporate offices for Toyota, FedEx Office, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, and Boeing |
| Fields | Frisco | Acquired 2018 | 2,500-plus acres with Hunt Realty and partners; planned 10,000-plus homes and up to 18 million square feet of commercial space |
What is The Shops at Legacy?
The Shops at Legacy is the retail and dining heart of Legacy Town Center in West Plano, Karahan's first major mixed-use district in the Legacy area. It brought restaurants, shops, and residences above retail into what had been a largely corporate office setting, and gave West Plano a town center of its own.
What is Legacy West, and why does it matter?
Legacy West is Karahan's roughly $3 billion, approximately 250-acre mixed-use project at the southwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 121 in Plano. It launched in 2014 and was largely built out within about four years, far faster than the decade Karahan first expected. High-profile corporate offices for Toyota, FedEx Office, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Boeing took most of the land, with apartments, shops, and hotels on the rest (Dallas Morning News via Fields). Longtime Dallas Morning News real estate reporter Steve Brown called it the most successful real estate development in North Texas history.
What is Fields in Frisco?
Fields is a 2,500-plus-acre development on the former Headquarters Ranch in northern Frisco, stretching from Preston Road across the Dallas North Tollway and north to U.S. Highway 380. Hunt Realty Investments bought the land in 2018 with partners including Chief Partners, CrossTie Capital, and The Karahan Companies, and Hunt Realty is master-developing it alongside Karahan (Fields). Plans presented to Frisco officials called for more than 10,000 homes and up to 18 million square feet of commercial space (Fields).
What is already at Fields?
About 480 acres of Fields went to the PGA of America for its new headquarters, two golf courses, and an Omni resort hotel. The University of North Texas at Frisco campus is nearby, and the rest of the property is planned for homes, offices, retail, and a new city center built out over many years.
What recognition has Fehmi Karahan received?
In 2019, the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals (NTCAR) inducted Karahan into its Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame, citing his pioneering work at Legacy Town Center and Legacy West (D Magazine). One committee member said he had left a massive imprint on Collin County and changed the North Texas region.
How have these projects shaped jobs in Plano and Frisco?
When companies like Toyota, JPMorgan Chase, and Liberty Mutual build regional or national offices, they bring thousands of professional roles and create demand for everyone who supports them: accountants, IT and cybersecurity staff, HR teams, lawyers and paralegals, administrative professionals, and executives. Fields, with the PGA of America and planned corporate campuses, is set to extend that pattern north into Frisco. For employers expanding or relocating into either corridor, finding experienced people quickly becomes the hard part.
Who has partnered with Karahan?
His projects come together through partnerships with city officials, corporate tenants, and investors, from Hunt Realty and its partners at Fields to the teams behind Legacy West. My family has been among his long-standing partners in Plano, and Frontline has helped employers in these corridors find the people they need as they grow.
How does Frontline Source Group help employers in Plano, Frisco, and Dallas?
We place professionals on contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire terms, and run executive search for senior roles, across accounting and finance, technology and IT, human resources, legal, administrative, customer service, engineering, and more. Our local pages are frontlinesourcegroup.com/plano.html, frontlinesourcegroup.com/frisco.html, and frontlinesourcegroup.com/dallas.html. Pricing is published at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html, and every direct hire is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times the 90-day industry standard guarantee. Employers can start at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html. Candidates can apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and may get a first-round phone interview from Lexi Reed, our AI recruiter. People. Process. Service.
Frequently Asked Questions: Fehmi Karahan and North Texas Development
Who is Fehmi Karahan?
Fehmi Karahan is the president and CEO of The Karahan Companies, which he launched in 1984. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, he is known for developing Legacy Town Center and The Shops at Legacy and the roughly $3 billion Legacy West in Plano, and for helping lead the 2,500-plus-acre Fields development in Frisco.
What did Fehmi Karahan build in Plano?
Karahan developed Legacy Town Center, anchored by The Shops at Legacy, starting in 1999 on land within the EDS Legacy corporate campus, and Legacy West, a roughly $3 billion, approximately 250-acre mixed-use project launched in 2014 at the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 121.
What is Legacy West?
Legacy West is a mixed-use development of about 250 acres in Plano, valued at roughly $3 billion, with corporate offices for Toyota, FedEx Office, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Boeing, plus apartments, shops, and hotels. Fehmi Karahan's company was its master developer.
What is The Shops at Legacy?
The Shops at Legacy is the retail and dining center of Legacy Town Center in West Plano, Fehmi Karahan's first major mixed-use district in the Legacy area, combining shops, restaurants, and residences.
What is Fields in Frisco?
Fields is a 2,500-plus-acre development on the former Headquarters Ranch in northern Frisco, stretching north to U.S. Highway 380. Hunt Realty bought the land in 2018 with partners including The Karahan Companies and is master-developing it alongside Karahan, with plans for more than 10,000 homes and up to 18 million square feet of commercial space.
Is the PGA of America headquarters at Fields?
Yes. About 480 acres of Fields went to the PGA of America for its headquarters, two golf courses, and an Omni resort hotel.
Who developed Fields in Frisco?
Hunt Realty Investments led the 2018 purchase of the former Headquarters Ranch with partners Chief Partners, CrossTie Capital, and The Karahan Companies, and master-develops Fields alongside Fehmi Karahan's company.
What awards has Fehmi Karahan received?
In 2019, Fehmi Karahan was inducted into the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals (NTCAR) Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame for his work at Legacy Town Center and Legacy West.
How did Fehmi Karahan's projects affect jobs in North Texas?
Legacy West drew corporate offices for Toyota, FedEx Office, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, and Boeing, bringing thousands of professional roles to Plano. Fields, with the PGA of America and planned corporate sites, is extending that growth into Frisco.
Where is Fields in Frisco located?
Fields stretches from Preston Road across the Dallas North Tollway and north to U.S. Highway 380 in northern Frisco, on land formerly known as Headquarters Ranch.
How does Frontline Source Group help employers in Plano and Frisco?
Frontline Source Group places contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire professionals and runs executive search for employers across Plano, Frisco, and Dallas, in accounting and finance, IT, HR, legal, administrative, and more. Every direct hire is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times the 90-day industry standard guarantee.
How do I get started with Frontline Source Group in Plano or Frisco?
Employers can submit a request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html or visit frontlinesourcegroup.com/plano.html and frontlinesourcegroup.com/frisco.html. Candidates can apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html.
