What you need to know
After the error in FEMA’s floodplain modeling was corrected, the new model showed the culverts were overtopping south of 15th Street, meaning the water was rising above the culverts and spilling out.
This modeled scenario presents a potential flood risk in a portion of the road that circles the mall in the case of a 100-year flood—a flood event with a 1% chance to occur in any given year.
The Collin Creek Mall redevelopment project will not be delayed by the study, Plano Director of Special Projects Peter Braster said.
“There are different ways to solve the problem, so this study is going to tell us which is the best way,” he said. “But, none of that will slow down the work on Collin Creek.”
The background
A previous rehabilitation project on the culverts finished work earlier this year, allowing more above-ground work on the development’s road network, Braster said.
“The culverts needed repair because they were, in a sense, losing their strength,” he said. “So the design solution to strengthen them was actually to create brand new tunnels within the existing metal ones.”
What’s next
After identifying the best solution, the next phase will require new design plans and approval by council.
The funding for the $659,101 contract to perform the analysis is drawn from the 2024-2025 Municipal Drainage Community Investment Program, and Plano Director of Engineering Caleb Thornhill said the setback should not divert funds from other projects.
Editor’s note: Reporting in Community Impact’s July Plano South and Plano North editions incorrectly stated construction of the Collin Creek redevelopment would be paused due to the drainage analysis. The Collin Creek mall redevelopment project will not be delayed by the study.
