Overview
- Plano released renderings and held the first public open house on Wednesday to show the proposed Willow Bend District and gather resident feedback.
- The plan would replace the troubled Shops at Willow Bend with a mixed-use sports and entertainment district anchored by a new arena the Dallas Stars have said they may move to from Downtown Dallas.
- City officials say the next formal step is a traffic study to measure effects on congestion and access, and a special venue tax to help pay for planning and construction will go to a special election in early November.
- Officials stress the Stars are a cooperative partner, but residents at the open house raised concrete concerns about rush-hour traffic, off-site parking, light and noise that the city says it will address through outreach and technical studies.
- Developers describe the project as a roughly $3 billion redevelopment that could reshape local retail and road use, with potential benefits for jobs and tax revenue but likely second-order impacts on neighborhood parking and peak-hour traffic.