A seven-story, 200,000-square-foot Class A office tower is coming to The Shops at Willow Bend.

The mall on Friday announced the addition of the office tower, which will be located adjacent to the mall’s food court and integrated into the Dillard’s parking deck.

A seven-story office tower is coming to The Shops at Willow Bend. A seven-story office tower is coming to The Shops at Willow Bend.[/caption]

The building, designed and constructed by Dallas-based commercial real estate investment company Encore Enterprises, is expected to house up to 800 employees.

“As The Shops at Willow Bend continues its $125 million-dollar expansion, we’re delighted with our addition of a much-needed Class A office tower,” Barry Smith, general manager of The Shops at Willow Bend, said in a news release. “This is a terrific addition to Willow Bend, which is the region’s most exciting shopping, restaurant and family destination, and it provides Plano with premier office space. Moreover, this demonstrates that The Shops at Willow Bend is growing with the Plano area.”

Mall officials said the building tenants will have access to a soon-to-be-announced 30,000-square-foot health and fitness club and the 60,000-square-foot restaurant district. Parking for the tower will be under the building and in the adjacent parking garage.

“We are proud to be the developer of this unique and extensive expansion that plays such an integral part in the growth and excitement happening throughout North Dallas,” Encore Commercial President Nicholas Barber said in a news release.