Members of the Plano City Council will consider a proposed zoning change that would help make way for a major overhaul of The Shops at Willow Bend.
The shopping mall, at the southwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Park Lane, has been struggling in recent years.
The proposed zoning change would allow for the demolition of more than half of the existing mall’s structure – more than 500,000 square feet – and the development of an open-air shopping center, with a streetscape similar to the style of Legacy West a few exits north on the tollway, 965 apartments, an 18-story hotel, and office space.
According to the mall’s new owner, Dallas-based Centennial, The Shops at Willow Bend has lost 28 national retailers since 2020.
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Last month, the Plano Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the proposed zoning change.
The change would allow for the “redevelopment of a key area to replace a failing mall,” according to Commissioner Bennett Ratliff.
Commissioner Bill Lisle went even further.
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“It takes a dead mall and gives it a chance of being a relevant, contributing, vibrant destination in the City of Plano for years to come,” Lisle noted.
