The Shops at Willow Bend is out, The Bend is in. Officials are set to transform the last built traditional mall in Texas into “THE destination for Plano and beyond”.
The Bend is a project by Dallas-based real estate and development firm, Centennial. Having acquired The Shops at Willow Bend a few years ago with Waterfall Asset Management and Cawley Partners, the firm is in the process of moving forward with the demolition phase of The Shops at Willow Bend, making way for a new era.
High-profile tenants, that include Equinox, Crate & Barrel, and Neiman Marcus, are expected to remain open during the early construction phases – which are scheduled to begin within the next year. Neiman Marcus is scheduled to officially close January 2027.
Vision for The Bend sees a mixed-use, open-air urban village with high-end retail, hospitality space, family residences, an 18-story hotel, and green space. Plans also call for a 7-story office building, and three 5-story buildings with nearly 1,000 apartment units.
The Shops at Willow Bend opened in Plano in 2001. Since 2008, the mall has continued to struggle. In 2010, Saks FIfth Avenue – one of the mall’s anchors – had departed; followed by the halted construction of a Cinepolis and exit from the mall’s Apple Store.
As a part of the “de-malling” process, the developers plan to tear down around 500,000 square feet of the space. The space will be used to create an open-air lifestyle hub filled with entertainment venues, retail, restaurants, and more. As described by the developers:
“The mixed-use village will bring an undeniably cosmopolitan, artistic aesthetic and an abundance of unique experiences. A magical mix of indoor and outdoor spaces harmoniously intertwined, this unique culture and lifestyle neighborhood will be THE destination for Plano and beyond”.
Rumors are circulating that The Bend could become the new home of the Dallas Stars. Reportedly, the Stars have been in active conversations with Plano officials about a potential arena and entertainment center for when the NHL team’s contract with American Airlines Center expires in 2031. No formal offer has yet been made.
