Plano's once vibrant Collin Creek Mall is getting a billion-dollar facelift, with new townhomes rising from the retail graveyard west of U.S. Highway 75, as part of a massive redevelopment project. This initiative, which commenced with a groundbreaking over two years ago, has experienced a recent surge in progress as the residential phase kicks into gear, as reported by WFAA.
Once a bustling shopping center when it opened back in 1981, the mall's decline came due to a shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping leading to its closure in 2019. Today, three cranes stand tall over the nearly century of acreage signaling a new chapter. Walls going up roads getting laid, and the vision for a mixed-use hub with offices, retail, and hotel space is slowly materializing despite a delay due to critical storm drain upgrades required under the site, according to the Dallas Business Journal.
"There is a perception that [progress] has been slow, but that's only because people don't realize the amount of work that's having to go in underground," Rob Romo, vice president of Centurion American Development Group. Upgrading the original storm drains from the 1980s is a collaborative effort between Centurion and city officials, aiming to connect the eastern and western sides of Plano through an accessible and lively center, as per WFAA.
Representatives from the city insist that while surface activity might seem to have hit a snag, the groundwork for a transformed urban landscape is underway encompassing a sprawling 99 acres. The construction teams are now prepping to solidify the metal drains with concrete liners. Peter Braster, Plano’s director of special projects, revealed the scope and intentions behind these infrastructural moves, likening the ambition to replicate the success of Plano's Legacy West, the city's other mixed-use ace card, per WFAA.
In the meantime, as earthmovers and jackhammers do their dance below, above-ground momentum isn't static, with builders like Mattamy Homes, Ashton Woods, and Brightland Homes having started erecting one of the 500 planned single-family homes. "Once our model along with several inventory homes are closer to completion in the spring of 2024," sales will commence, Kaitlyn Anderson from Mattamy Homes indicated via email, aligning with the projected timeline for the development's more comprehensive unveiling throughout 2024 and into 2025, as detailed by WFAA.
