When it originally opened in 1981, Collin Creek Mall was a pivotal part of the growth in Plano and Collin County. Soon, the last of the 37-year-old mall will be demolished to make room for Plano’s new era of growth — a $1 billion mixed use development by Farmers Branch-based Centurion American. Once complete, Collin Creek will have up to 3,100 new residential units and a series of new office space, restaurants, and hotels.
The old J.C. Penney and Dillard’s department stores are the last two buildings to be demolished. Originally, J.C. Penney had plans to replace the old building with a new store at Collin Creek, but that was jettisoned when the Plano-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020 and closed nearly 200 stores across the country.
In December 2020, Plano City Council approved design and zoning changes by Centurion American to replace big box retail-zoned land previously reserved for Penney’s with 300 independent living units for seniors.
But plenty of shopping is still planned for the re-development — approximately 300,000 square feet of retail. Developer Mehrdad Moayedi told the Dallas Morning News that 30 retailers from the original Collin Creek are interested in occupying the new shopping center. Centurion has not released any names, but based on previous occupancy, those stores could include a mix of national brands such as Bath & Body Works, Gap, GameStop, Victoria’s Secret, and Foot Locker, and local retail, much like you’d find at the Shops at Legacy. Most parking will be underground, plans show.
The open-air shopping center is on tap for phase one of the project, as well as approximately 10 new restaurants and much of the single- and multi-family housing. Later phases will include a 200-room hotel with 40,000 square feet in hotel event space. The new Collin Creek will have eight acres of park land including a 1.6 mile Chisholm walking trail.
Collin Creek was the first major shopping mall in the burgeoning county, and became not only a retail center but also a community partner that brought together families, neighbors, and businesses. Centurion America’s vision for the Collin Creek of the future is ideally positioned not only to reclaim that mantle but to cement the importance of the area by creating a central gathering point for the city of Plano.
The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
