Plano nonprofit film studio ordered out of Willow Bend by 2026

The Movie Institute has been told to leave The Shops at Willow Bend by Aug. 31, 2026, putting a 25-year youth film and media program on the clock as Plano clears more tenants from the mall for redevelopment. Founder Keith Duncan said the nonprofit recently put more money into the facility, turning the move into more than a routine lease change.

For students, families and nonprofit programming that used the studio, the deadline means the loss of a space the organization says has mentored and trained thousands of young people through motion media. Its departure is another sign that Willow Bend is being emptied out for The Bend, the mixed-use project Centennial plans for the site.

Plano City Council approved the redevelopment plan on Feb. 12, 2024, setting up the demolition of about 530,000 square feet and preservation of about 400,000 square feet, including Dillard’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, restaurant areas and parking structures. The original plan called for 965 apartments, an 18-story hotel and a seven-story office building.

After Macy’s announced it would close, Plano approved updated changes on Feb. 24, 2025. Centennial added townhome-style attached residences and detached single-family homes, but said the overall residential count would still not exceed 965 units. By March 31, 2026, Centennial said demolition would begin within the next year, with the early work phased so the restaurant district, parking garages, Crate & Barrel and Equinox could stay open.

Willow Bend, which opened in 2001 and has been described as the last traditional enclosed mall built in Texas, has already lost much of its original lineup. By March 2026, Dillard’s, Macy’s and the Crayola Experience had exited, while Neiman Marcus was set to close in 2027 and North Texas Performing Arts had also announced its departure. Centennial and Waterfall Asset Management bought the property in 2022.

Plano officials have also said they have been in discussions with the Dallas Stars about a possible move to the Willow Bend site, though no formal agreement exists. Near Dallas North Tollway and West Park Boulevard, the property is shifting from a regional shopping center into a district built around apartments, offices, hotel rooms and new traffic. For The Movie Institute, that shift now comes with a hard deadline and an uncertain next chapter.