Plano approves Shops at Willow Bend redevelopment plan

PLANO, Texas - A redevelopment plan could bring more businesses to a once popular upscale mall in Plano.

The Shops at Willow Bend opened more than 20 years ago. It was the last traditional enclosed mall built in the state.

But with declining traffic at the mall, there’s new hope from city leaders and business owners about a plan to update the area.

On Monday night, the Plano City Council approved zoning changes that will pave the way for the mall to be transformed into a mixed-use development similar to what exists at Legacy West.

The plans keep about 400,000 square feet of existing mall space intact. The rest of the mall will be demolished.

Renderings show the addition of new residential buildings, a high-rise hotel, an office building, and green space.

The developer says it will help bring traffic to the area seven days a week, which has surrounding business owners hopeful that they’ll be able to stay afloat.

"I have 35 employees at Knife as do the other three restaurants in the district. It’s been tough. And without this development being developed as proposed, there’s no way we can stay and no way we can continue," said George Stergios, the owner of Knife Steakhouse.

"A lot of restaurants would close. We decided to stick with it. So did the other three restaurant owners because we believe in what this group is gonna do," added Brian Dunne, the owner of Mexican Bar Company.

The developer, Centennial, is working on similar redevelopment projects in Alabama, California, Connecticut and Illinois.

Construction for the redevelopment could begin as soon as next year.