Plano mayor says Stars move won’t bring tax shock or parking crisis

Plano residents are being told the Dallas Stars’ planned move to The Shops at Willow Bend will not mean a sudden tax hit or a parking crisis, but the city has only partly locked that promise into writing. The Plano City Council has already approved four measures backing more than $700 million in funding, and Mayor John Muns says a final deal could come by the end of summer or early fall.

Muns said the city would own the arena and could later put a venue tax question before voters on Nov. 3, a detail that makes the financing structure especially important. He told WFAA, “We’re hoping by the end of the summer, early fall,” as Plano and the Stars continue to work toward a deal that could still change before any final vote. The club’s current lease at the American Airlines Center expires in 2031, giving the franchise a long runway but also making the timing of Plano’s decisions more consequential.

The proposed arena district would sit on roughly 90 to 94 acres at The Shops at Willow Bend near the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 161, or Park Boulevard. Plans tied to the redevelopment call for retail, dining, entertainment, hotel and residential uses, turning one of Plano’s best-known commercial corridors into a mixed-use district anchored by a hockey-specific venue. Star Local Media reported the project is tied to a nonbinding letter of intent with Dallas Sports & Entertainment LP, the Stars’ parent company.

That still leaves the central public question unresolved: who pays for the infrastructure if the project gets more expensive. City officials have signaled that tax increment reinvestment zone funding could be part of the package, which would redirect development-generated revenue toward project costs instead of relying solely on a broad property-tax increase. But the final financing terms, including what protections would be in place if costs rise, have not been fully spelled out. For nearby neighborhoods and businesses, the practical test will be whether the city can keep traffic, parking and construction impacts manageable while the area is rebuilt around a major sports venue.

The redevelopment is moving alongside a broader overhaul of Willow Bend. Plano approved rezoning for the project in 2024 after city leaders pointed to declining attendance and growing vacancies at the mall, and demolition of parts of the property is scheduled to begin in the fall as part of The Bend. The Stars have also looked at other North Texas sites, including Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth, underscoring how much is riding on Plano’s ability to turn public reassurances into binding terms.