At a Dec. 14 regular meeting, the Plano City Council approved the redevelopment project for Municipal Center South, which includes two, five-story mixed-use buildings. The 1.6-acre development also includes the parking lot adjacent to McCall Plaza owned by Christie Properties.

14th Street and J LLC, a subsidiary of Southern Land Company, is expected to begin construction by July 2016. The demolition of the existing development, which includes Municipal Center South that formerly housed the city's Parks and Recreation Department, is expected to start by end of February. The entire project is expected to be completed by August 2018. Southern Land previously owned Junction 15 in historic downtown Plano before it sold it to Clarion Partners in November.

According to the agreement, Southern Land plans to construct a mixed-use development with at least 175 units and 12,800 square feet of nonresidential use. Each apartment unit will be at least 700 square feet in size with 80 percent of units with one bedroom or less.

The new buildings will feature apartment units on the upper floors with commercial and/or restaurant space on the first floor. The new buildings will surround a parking garage with three underground levels and one above ground parking floor.

The city of Plano’s incentive package to Southern Land Co. amounts to more than $2.3 million. The package includes reimbursements in the amounts of $1.2 million for public improvements and $200,000 for the demolition of the existing buildings. Up to $700,000 will be reimbursed for the creation of 50 additional parking spaces that, along with the 70 existing parking spaces, will be constructed inside an underground parking garage, said Phyllis Jarrell, special projects director for the city of Plano. Additionally, the city will transfer the land—which is currently valued at $1.7 million—from the city’s ownership to Southern Land.

The incentive package typically waives permitting and inspection fees estimated up to $150,000, an aspect common with downtown Plano's redevelopment projects, Jarrell said. The city recoups this through property taxes and added business over time, she said.

“All of these projects have contributed to the revitalization of downtown Plano,” Jarrell said.