Plano | April 2026

Development

BY JENNA STEPHENSON

Willow Bend mall areas to remain operational throughout demolition Parking garage

DNT TOLL

Restaurant district

Crate & Barrel

Equinox

W. PARK BLVD.

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

Centennial rst announced plans to redevelop Willow Bend mall in 2022. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)

Developer plans to start Willow Bend demolition within a year

• Parking garages The context Centennial’s initial plan to redevelop Willow Bend, which called for demolishing up to 530,000 square feet on the northern side of the property, was approved by Plano City Council in 2024. In February 2025, council approved a revised redevelopment plan that switched which portion of the mall would be demolished. According to the 2025 plan, the north side will remain standing, and the south side will be demolished instead. Centennial’s demolition timeline comes as the Dallas Stars are considering Plano as a possible new home. A city of Plano spokesperson conrmed in February that the city has been in “earnest dis- cussions” with the hockey team about a potential move to Willow Bend. When asked about the demolition in relation to negotiations with the Dallas Stars, the representa- tive said Centennial “[does] not have any updates to share regarding potential additional uses at the site.”

Centennial, the real estate company that acquired The Shops at Willow Bend in 2022, con- rmed that it plans to start demolishing a portion of the mall within a year. “Demolition is a planned phase of the broader redevelopment for The Shops at Willow Bend and reects continued progress on our long-term vision,” a Centennial representative said in an email. About the project The demolition is part of a plan to redevelop Willow Bend into a mixed-use center with retail, restaurants, housing, oce space and an on-site hotel. Once the demolition is complete, Centennial plans to start work on the residential and retail components of the development, the representa- tive said. Several areas will remain operational through- out the demolition, including: • Restaurant district • Crate & Barrel • Equinox

Another viewpoint While major retailers like Macy’s, Dillard’s and Neiman Marcus have closed or announced plans to close, there are several businesses still operating out of The Shops at Willow Bend. “Tenant transitions and specic demolition sequencing are still being nalized as part of ongoing planning,” the representative said in a statement. North Texas Performing Arts said they were asked to leave the Willow Bend Center of the Arts within a year, according to previous reporting. “While this is a major change for us, and it creates some very real challenges, we want to do everything we can to work cooperatively and con- structively to support this redevelopment plan,” NTPA CEO Darrell Rodenbaugh said in a video statement. “To continue serving the thousands of families that depend on us, we must rst secure a comparable new home.”

PLANO EDITION