Rising rents cause downtown changes From the cover
The impact
The gist
Hawkins said downtown’s retail presence has “thinned out” in recent years, largely due to national trends in retail rather than issues entirely unique to Plano. Retail makes up just over 8% of downtown businesses, while restaurants and bars account for nearly 27%, according to city data. “Some of our newer stuff has moved on, and we’ve got some things moving in that [are] very exciting,” Hawkins said. “It’s not as much of a shopping district as we’d like to see, so that is going to be a focus of ours moving forward is attracting more retail.” Hawkins said as retail has decreased, ser- vice-oriented businesses and restaurants have filled some spaces downtown. For example, hair salon Anomalia Society is taking over retail boutique La Foofaraw’s former space. “With retail moving out, what has come in is more services, which is great ... but it’s not necessarily what you think of when you think of a vibrant downtown,” Hawkins said. “You think of shopping and restaurants.” Marsalis added fewer consumers are shopping in person compared to previous years, a trend that accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several storefronts in downtown Plano have turned over in the past year, with some longtime businesses closing and newer service-oriented businesses entering. Since early 2025, Partners Real Estate data shows that the average asking retail rent in the far north Dallas area has increased from $21.64 per square foot at the start of the year to $23.12 by the end of the last quarter, an increase of about 7%. “With property values going up, that makes the rents go up,” Downtown Plano Manager Michelle Hawkins said. “[When] sales aren’t keeping up with the rent, then it’s struggling. Our mom-and-pops are struggling, but that’s not just a downtown Plano issue.”
Downtown Plano business changes in 2025
Openings: 1 Willis Morrison - State Farm: January 2025 2 Ramen Belly: March 2025 3 Bibliobar: March 2025 4 Candon Hair Studio: October 2025 5 Mo’s Fiery Chicken & BBQ: fall 2025 6 Anomalia Society: early 2026 7 Odd Muse Brewing: 2026 Closures: 8 Shinola: June 2025 9 La Foofaraw: fall 2025 10 Voodoo Brewing: September 2025 11 Paisanos Taqueria: 2025 12 JeTT Pets: 2025 13 The Hair Parlour: late 2025 14 Plano Psychic: 2025 15 Ramen Belly: February 2026 Downtown Plano has seen several businesses move in and out in the last year.
Retail market rates in far north Dallas
16TH ST.
18TH ST.
On average, a 1,000 sq. ft. commercial space would have seen a $1,480 raise in its monthly rent.
5 11
$24
HAGGARD PARK
WHY A CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EDUCATION? Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. As you walk through the halls and visit our classrooms, you will see beautiful works of art on the walls, the great books on our shelves, and thriving gardens outside our windows. The Catholic Classical student is curious, asks questions, and approaches the foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. As you walk through the halls and visit our classrooms, you will see beautiful works of art on the walls, the great books on our shelves, and thriving gardens outside our windows. The Catholic Classical student is curious, asks questions, and approaches the Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a Why a CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EdUCATION? Why a CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EdUCATION? Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, “People don’t shop on foot as much as they used to,” Marsalis said. “That’s not a new thing. People have been doing more online shopping, but I think it’s even more popular now.” Bibliobar owner Chelsea Tresp, who opened her independent bookstore in downtown Plano last March, said expanding downtown’s retail mix is critical to building sustained foot traffic. 4 6 9 exciting journey of learning with a sense of wonder. In addition to the pursuit of goodness, truth and beauty, a classical curriculum includes the liberal arts, grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy, and Latin. a classical curriculum includes the liberal arts, grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy, and Latin. exciting journey of learning with a sense of wonder. In addition to the pursuit of goodness, truth and beauty, “We need more retail, and we need landlords who want to have more retail,” Tresp said. “Retail gets more retail, [which] gets more people. The more people you can get down here, the better.” SOURCE: COMMUNITY IMPACT 2 15
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$22
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15TH ST.
$21
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$20
$0
2025 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Q3 Q4
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2024
14TH ST.
SOURCE: PARTNERS REAL ESTATE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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Saint Catholic Cl is one of onl schools in Te ICLE school at Catholic Cl is one of onl schools in Tex ICLE school at
FAITH WISDOM VIRTUE FAITH WISDOM VIRTUE ONE OF ONLY SIX INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC LIBERAL EDUCATION MEMBER SCHOOLS IN TEXAS AND THE ONLY PREMIER MEMBER 972.235.3263 | SPSDFW.ORG | 720 S FLOYD RD RICHARDSON, TX 75080
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
972.235.3263 | spsdfw.org | 720 S Floyd Rd Richardso 972.235.3263 | spsdfw.org | 720 S Floyd Rd Richardso
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