Plano is putting real money behind a fresh look at two of its marquee business hubs, signing a $150,000 contract with Freese and Nichols to craft a long-range master plan for the Legacy and Granite Park districts. Approved at the Jan. 12 City Council meeting, the study will dig into how the already built-out area can make room for new tenants, transportation options and infrastructure upgrades while still protecting the district’s employment base. City officials are billing the effort as a proactive play as corporate moves and market shifts start to reshape demand in the Legacy corridor.
At the Jan. 12 meeting, the council signed off on the Freese and Nichols agreement, which city documents say will include public outreach and a technical evaluation of land uses and mobility options. The contract work is expected to wrap in spring 2027, according to reporting from Community Impact.
State law is reshaping zoning choices
New state laws passed in 2025 are forcing cities like Plano to rethink where housing can go, tightening some of the tools the city has used to reserve land for jobs. SB 840 creates by right permissions for multifamily and mixed use residential projects in many nonresidential zoning districts and limits how municipalities can regulate density, height and parking, as detailed by OpenStates. Separately, SB 2477 eases office to residential conversions and limits certain impact fees, a change summarized in a legal analysis by Winstead PC.
Big projects and leasing momentum are changing the math
Heavy private investment and a recent burst of corporate leasing are already shifting the equation for reuse and future growth across Legacy and Granite Park. AT&T’s plan to build a new 54 acre campus on the former Ross Perot/EDS site is among the largest near term changes for the district, according to reporting by The Dallas Morning News.
Japan based Kintetsu has broken ground on the Miyako Hybrid Hotel, a roughly $117.5 million, 217 room project slated inside the Legacy area, and The Park at Legacy is being redeveloped as a 107 acre mixed use campus, according to industry coverage from REBusiness and others. Landlord Granite Properties announced Simpson Strong Tie would lease about 38,372 square feet at Granite Park 6, as detailed by Granite Properties, and CoStar reported Sally Beauty moving into space at the Liberty Mutual campus, signaling renewed demand for existing office buildings.
What the plan will examine and next steps
City staff say Freese and Nichols will lead public engagement, scenario planning and recommendations on land use, design standards and infrastructure so the area can handle more growth without pushing out employer uses. Mayor John Muns called AT&T’s move “fresh momentum” for Legacy and said the study will help position the district for its “next generation of success,” according to local reporting from Community Impact.
The city expects the master plan work to run through April 2027 and will post outreach dates once consultants get underway. Residents and businesses are being encouraged to watch the city calendar for meetings and draft recommendations that could shape where offices, housing and new amenities land in the coming years.
