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Willow Bend Redevelopment and Prop A: Plano homeowner guide, Election Day Nov. 3

Dallas Stars Arena at Willow Bend: Prop A Results and What’s Next for Plano

Posted by Hilda Avila on October 24, 2026

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Updated Nov. 6, 2026. By Hilda Avila, REALTOR®, Ebby Halliday Real Estate, LLC.

Update, Nov. 6, 2026: Plano voters rejected Proposition A. In unofficial Collin County results with all 90 vote centers reporting, 54.78% voted against (54,714 votes) and 45.22% voted for (45,170 votes) (Collin County unofficial summary). These are Collin County-only figures, not Plano-wide combined totals. The results are unofficial until the Nov. 16 canvass, when the Collin County Commissioners Court canvasses the Nov. 3 elections (Collin County notice of canvass). The vote decided whether the city could impose five venue taxes. The City of Plano says residents voted against Proposition A and that “The election did not decide the future of the arena” (City of Plano Willow Bend District page). City Manager Mark Israelson said the financing approach “would need to be reassessed before City Council considers any actions related to the arena,” and Mayor John Muns said the city is “committed to thoughtful reinvestment and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars as we consider what comes next.” (Community Impact)

Background: Plano has been considering a $3 billion entertainment district at The Shops at Willow Bend, anchored by a city-owned Dallas Stars arena. Proposition A asked voters to authorize five venue taxes to help pay for it. It did not change the property tax rate or decide the project alone.

Sources: Collin County unofficial summary, Nov. 4, 2026; City of Plano Willow Bend District page; Community Impact, Nov. 4, 2026; City of Plano Council presentation, June 8, 2026; City of Plano news release, Aug. 10, 2026; City of Plano Advisory Committee Q&A, Oct. 13, 2026.

Homeowners near Willow Bend keep asking me what’s actually been decided. This post sticks to the public record and flags what isn’t settled. It isn’t an endorsement either way.

Get the free Willow Bend Homeowner Brief (PDF), a plain-English, source-cited summary you can keep.

Willow Bend timeline: what’s happened and what’s next

2022: Centennial buys the mall, which opened in 2001. (City of Plano, June 8, 2026)
Feb. 24, 2025: Council approves an updated “The Bend” mixed-use plan that adds townhomes. (Community Impact, Feb. 24, 2025)
June 8, 2026: Council approves four items: a non-binding letter of intent with the Dallas Stars, an incentive agreement with the mall owner, a new Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ #6), and a venue project resolution. (City of Plano, June 8, 2026)
Aug. 10, 2026: Council calls the Nov. 3 venue tax election. (City of Plano, Aug. 10, 2026)
Oct. 19–30: Early voting. Nov. 3: Election Day. (City of Plano election notice)
Nov. 3, 2026: Collin County unofficial results show voters rejecting Prop A, 54.78% against (54,714) to 45.22% for (45,170), with all 90 vote centers reporting. (Collin County unofficial summary)

What happens next

Nov. 16, 2026 (confirmed): The Collin County Commissioners Court canvasses the Nov. 3 results at 1:30 p.m. Until then, the results are unofficial. (Collin County notice of canvass)
Plano City Council next steps (not scheduled yet): The City Manager said staff will focus on giving Council “a clear understanding of the financial implications and the options available moving forward.” No meeting date had been published as of Nov. 4. (Community Impact, Nov. 4, 2026)
Still not signed: The June 8, 2026 letter of intent with the Dallas Stars is non-binding. The City and team still have to negotiate a Master Agreement, and the City said Council must approve it “regardless of the election results.” (City of Plano, June 8 and Oct. 13, 2026)
Still ahead: a final TIRZ finance plan, a site plan and Phase II of the traffic study (no completion date yet). (City of Plano Q&A, Oct. 13, 2026)
Jan. 12, 2027 (confirmed): The 90th Texas Legislature’s regular session convenes. (Legislative Reference Library of Texas)
Early 2028 (previous City timeline; may change after the financing reassessment): The City’s pre-election plan expected arena bonds in early 2028. (City of Plano, Oct. 13, 2026)

Proposed housing at Willow Bend

No housing unit count has been published for the arena-district version of the plan. The current zoning, from the earlier “The Bend” plan, allows up to 965 residential units in total. That includes mid-rise residential, independent living, and single-family attached and detached homes (up to 957 combined), plus up to 40 multifamily units. The concept plan shows 50 attached townhome-style units at Plano Parkway and Chapel Hill Boulevard. (City of Plano Ordinance 2025-2-6, Feb. 24, 2025) For the 2026 district, the City says it “could include … residential developments.” Centennial is to work with the City on “any amendments to the existing Planned Development.” (City of Plano) Any change would go through public zoning hearings.

Entertainment and retail

According to City documents:

Ownership and lease: As proposed, the arena would be owned by the City and leased to Dallas Sports & Entertainment LP for an initial 30 years.
Events: It would also host concerts and community events “such as Plano ISD graduations.” (City of Plano, June 8, 2026)
Capacity: The traffic study assumes 18,000 seats for hockey and 19,500 for concerts. (Fehr & Peers, Sept. 10, 2026)
Event count: The City’s revenue estimate assumes 41 Stars home games plus about 60–70 other events a year. (City of Plano Q&A, Oct. 13, 2026)
Other uses being studied: about 1 million square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of new retail and a 400-room hotel. All are labeled “preliminary, subject to change.” (Fehr & Peers)

Taxes: what Prop A does and doesn’t do

What Prop A would have allowed. The ballot language began “THIS IS A TAX INCREASE” and would have authorized up to:

a 5% short-term car rental tax
a 2% hotel tax (15% combined maximum)
a $3 event parking tax
a 10% event admissions tax
a $5,000-per-game tax on each member of a major-league team playing at the arena

(City of Plano election notice)

The car rental and hotel taxes would have applied citywide. The City had estimated $700–$900 million over 30 years. (City of Plano Q&A)

What it didn’t do. Before the vote, the City said the venue taxes “would not affect the existing property tax rate.” The City also said “the election does not determine the future of the arena.” (City of Plano, Aug. 10, 2026)

TIRZ #6. The zone is 100% non-residential, covers 896.94 acres and expires in 2067. Revenue from today’s property values keeps going to the City’s General Fund. The City’s preliminary plan would direct 100% of the growth in its property and sales tax revenue inside the zone to the zone’s projects for 41 years (an estimated $1.62 billion, on conservative growth assumptions). The City’s contribution to the arena is capped at $700 million. (City of Plano, June 8, 2026)

Who carries the risk. Before the vote, the City expected to repay arena bonds from TIRZ and venue-tax revenue. With the venue taxes rejected, that plan is being reassessed. It calls them “special obligations,” but says the final allocation of risk “cannot be determined with absolute certainty until the financing structure is completed.” Road and infrastructure costs have “not yet been determined.” (City of Plano Q&A)

Current 2026 rates (per $100 of taxable value): City of Plano $0.437600, Plano ISD $1.032750, Collin County $0.151414 and Collin College $0.081220. (Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector) Your own bill depends on your appraisal, your exemptions and the rates each taxing unit adopts every year.

Traffic and roads

The City hired Fehr & Peers to study 33 intersections between Preston Road, Midway Road, Parker Road and the George Bush Turnpike. The preliminary study looked at a weekday hockey game and a sold-out concert.

Overall finding: The preliminary memo says “most mitigations were effective.” (Fehr & Peers, Oct. 2, 2026)
Four trouble spots couldn’t be fully fixed yet:
- Park/Plano Parkway
- Plano Parkway/Dallas Parkway
- Park/Dallas Parkway
- a Tollway off-ramp weave at Park Boulevard
Road changes under consideration: longer turn lanes, new signals and driveways, and event-day signal timing.
Neighborhood measures under study: local-only signs, resident parking permits and gates.

The City says Midway Road isn’t expected to need widening, there are “no plans for rail service at this time,” and Phase II has no completion date. (City of Plano Q&A)

Nearby neighborhoods and roads

The site is bordered by:

Park Boulevard to the south
Dallas Parkway, the Tollway frontage road, to the east
Chapel Hill Boulevard to the north
Plano Parkway to the west

(Fehr & Peers; OpenStreetMap)

The traffic memo names Glen Meadows and Wyndham Hill as the neighborhoods closest to the site. It also names Willow Bend West V, Willow Bend North & West and Pebble Brook at Willow Bend, east of the Tollway, for closer review in the next phase. (Fehr & Peers) For more on the city, see my Plano page.

What supporters and critics said before the vote

Marshall Jackson, Victory Green PAC Community Advisor (supports): the project “will revitalize a struggling property” and “places no tax burden on homeowners.” (as reported by CBS Texas, Oct. 6, 2026)
Brad Alberts, Dallas Stars President and CEO: “There are no hidden costs to taxpayers.” (as reported by FOX 4, Oct. 2, 2026)
Karen Dubrow, chair of the opposition PAC (opposes): “Who’s going to pay for the road widening? That’s not answered.” (as reported by CBS Texas, Oct. 6, 2026)
David Romick, Plano resident: argues TIRZ diversion could mean “tax increases” later to fund city services. (as reported by FOX 4, Oct. 2, 2026)

City staff say they are “prohibited from advocating for or against the proposition.” (City of Plano Q&A)

Where to learn more

Election results: collincountytx.gov/elections (Collin County) and votedenton.gov (Denton County).
Official project information: plano.gov/WillowBendDistrict and the Willow Bend Redevelopment Advisory Committee page.
Questions: [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

What is Plano Proposition A?

Proposition A was a Nov. 3, 2026 Plano ballot measure. It asked voters to authorize up to five venue taxes to help finance a city-owned arena at The Shops at Willow Bend: on car rentals, hotel stays, arena parking, arena tickets, and major-league team members per game.

Did Prop A pass?

No. In unofficial Collin County results with all 90 vote centers reporting, 54.78% of voters (54,714) voted against and 45.22% (45,170) voted for. These are Collin County-only figures, not Plano-wide combined totals. The results are unofficial until the Nov. 16 canvass.

Will Prop A raise my property taxes?

No. Voters rejected Prop A, and before the vote the City said the venue taxes would not have affected the existing property tax rate. Your bill still depends on your appraised value, your exemptions and the rates each taxing unit sets every year. Future rates haven’t been set.

Now that Prop A failed, is the arena canceled?

No. Voters rejected the venue taxes on Nov. 3, but the City says the vote did not decide whether the arena is built, and it is reassessing how to pay for it. Council still has to approve a final Master Agreement.

How many homes are planned at Willow Bend?

No unit count has been published for the arena-district plan. The existing zoning allows up to 965 residential units in total, including mid-rise, townhome-style and single-family homes and up to 40 multifamily units. Any changes would go through Plano’s zoning process.

What happens next with the Willow Bend arena?

Collin County canvasses the Nov. 3 results on Nov. 16, 2026. City staff will brief Council on the financial implications and options before Council acts on the arena. No meeting date had been published as of Nov. 4.

Want this in one place? Get the free Willow Bend Homeowner Brief (PDF).

Questions about your own home?

Whatever happens with the redevelopment, Hilda can walk you through where your home stands today. No obligation.

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Sources

This post is general information only. It is not legal or tax advice and not an endorsement of any ballot measure.