What you need to know
Two of the five large piles of dirt blocking the view of the soon-to-be mixed-use development—which will feature retail, homes, apartments, two parks and more—are now gone, with the other three set to be removed “in short order,” Plano Director of Special Projects Peter Braster said.
Braster added that the piles of dirt were there for a reason.
“They had to dig a really big hole,” he said.
That really big hole is now a 1,976-space underground parking garage, which finished construction in March, allowing work to start on several above-ground projects, Braster said.
The next steps are to finish work on the park, street network and other infrastructure on the development’s east side. Construction on two apartment buildings and the main mall building is also set to begin later this year, Centurion American Vice President Rob Romo said.
Diving in deeper
Romo said that the redevelopment “will breathe new life into the historic mall,” adding that the development’s two parks will enhance the mall’s productivity.
Romo said that the “indoor-outdoor experience promotes fluid movement and will enhance the overall visitor experience.”
Part of that vision also includes leveling out the entire mall to be on one floor, with the parking garage underneath.
“You’ll be able to walk from Alma [Drive] all the way through to US 75, basically all at one level,” Braster said.
That’s where the piles of dirt come into play—Braster said the dirt is being used to fill in areas needed to level off parts of the mall. He added that some of the material in large piles are actually asphalt, which is being used to make the roadways on the development.
Braster said that the redevelopment will make Collin Creek “a destination” on the east side of Plano.
“Look at the mall before 2018—it was dying for decades, because there was newer and better,” he said. “Legacy West is popular because it feels like a great place to visit ... Collin Creek is not going to be Legacy West on the east side, but it’s going to be its own special place that people want to come to.”
Why it matters
Around 200 of the allotted 500 single-family homes set for Collin Creek have already been built, Braster said.
Braster added that the houses are being built as they’re bought.
“What that means is that people want to live in Plano,” he said. “Which we all knew, but now you actually have new homes.”
The homes help address a need in Plano, which has very little space left to add new housing units. Only about 9% of Plano homes have been built since 2009.
More than 55% of homes in Plano were built between 1980 and 1999, when Plano was experiencing massive population growth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing data.
Braster added that he expects Collin Creek to improve the entire surrounding area as well.
“It’s going to be a total revitalization,” he said. “You’ll get better retailers, better tenants and the neighborhoods will appreciate that.”
What’s next
Construction started on the redevelopment in 2021 and crews are expected to hit several milestones late this year.
In late 2025, work on the development’s street network and parks is expected to finish while construction on the main building is set to start, Romo said.
