The Willow Bend Mall is set to make way for the Dallas Stars new arena, and a larger sports entertainment center, following approval from Plano City Council.

Council approved a non-binding letter of intent from the Dallas Stars and a $15 million economic incentive with Centennial, the owners of Willow Bend Mall, at a June 8 meeting.

The details

According to the letter of intent from Dallas Sports & Entertainment LP, the parent company of the Stars, the arena to be constructed at The Shops at Willow Bend will host the Stars home games along with team practices, camps and “other professional hockey activities.”

The arena may be used for other indoor sports, entertainment, cultural and civic events, per previous reporting. The city and DSE are also collaborating to add new public transportation options for the venue and to add future initiatives for youth sports education, small business engagement and other community-focused efforts in Plano.

The incentive agreement with Centennial will help cover costs of demolition of the “inline space of the mall, theater, Dillard’s and The Crayola Experience,” according to city documents. It will also help develop a new 6,500-square-foot visitor’s center.

The demolition is expected to cost $25.3 million, with Equinox, Crate & Barrel, the Neiman Marcus building, the mall’s 65,000-square-foot restaurant district and parking structures to remain, Plano Economic Director Michael Talley said.

Demolition of the mall is expected to begin in early 2027, Talley said.

What they’re saying

Of 12 Plano residents that spoke at the June 8 meeting, 10 opposed the Dallas Stars arena at Willow Bend Mall.

Several speakers cited concerns with traffic, noise, safety and the potential that the Dallas Stars could leave following a 30-year lease.

“I have concerns that in the future we’ll have a dead stadium, instead of the vibrant retail area we’ve already approved,” Plano resident Gary Carey said. “I have concerns of the effect of the new stadium on the surrounding area. On game and event nights we’ll have increased traffic on the tollway that’s already overburdened.”

Council member Bob Kehr said this decision gives the city an opening to make future decisions.

“If we say no to this, [the Stars stadium] may end up in a city that’s on our border, which is going to affect our traffic and all the things we’ve been hearing about tonight,” Kehr said. “If we say no to this [letter of intent], we’re saying no forever and we don’t have an opportunity to make this better.”

Dig deeper

Council also approved a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, encompassing more than 900 acres around The Shops at Willow Bend.

A TIRZ assigns a portion of city property taxes to finance an economic project, according to city documents.

“[The district] is all the commercial properties along the tollway from George Bush all the way to Windhaven,” Director of Special Projects Peter Braster said.

Learn more

Residents can learn more at one of two in-person open houses at The Shops at Willow Bend on July 8 and 14, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., respectively.

A self-guided virtual community open house will be available on the city’s website from July 8-22.