Plano Mayor John Muns delivered the city’s annual State of the City address on Jan. 28 at the Robinson Fine Arts Center, outlining 10 major redevelopment and development projects he called the “big 10,” summarizing recent public-safety and library investments and announcing that a bond measure to fund a new police headquarters, new fire stations and other major infrastructure projects will be placed before Plano voters in May.

The mayor described Plano as “robust, resilient, and strong,” and said the projects and proposed bond are intended to support public safety, preserve green space and guide redevelopment in a city that is largely built out. “I call it, it’s the big 10,” Muns said in introducing the projects, which aim to convert aging office campuses, redevelop malls and create new mixed‑use centers across the city.

Why it matters: Plano is facing a shift from new‑land growth to redevelopment — the mayor said only about 4% of land remains available for new development — and officials are linking long‑term economic competitiveness and public‑safety performance to investments in facilities and infrastructure that would be funded in part by the May bond measure.

Most significant items and projects described

Public safety and facilities: Muns said the city has invested in police and fire services over the past four years, citing the addition of nine firefighter positions, hiring 27 firefighter‑paramedics to fill vacancies and an upcoming remodel of Fire Station No. 5. He said the police department opened a new substation, added a mental‑health and homeless outreach team, increased patrol first responders by 17 percent, created a special victims unit, added a full‑time recruiter and acquired a mobile command post. The mayor announced the city will ask residents in May to consider a bond measure to fund a new police headquarters, new fire stations and other infrastructure projects.

Economic development: The address highlighted continuing corporate expansions and relocations. Muns said Plano created more than 12,000 jobs last year and that companies announced roughly $909,000,000 in local investment (transcript phrasing provided this figure). He cited several large projects: Delta Electronics plans to expand its Plano campus with research, development and manufacturing space the mayor described as nearly 1,500,000 square feet and employing about 1,500 people by 2031; Align Data Centers is building a roughly 425,000‑square‑foot facility at an estimated cost of $212,000,000; Raising Cane’s purchased about 400,000 square feet for a campus expansion the mayor said would support more than 1,000 employees. Muns also said a Korea International Trade Association U.S. office is opening in Plano.

The “big 10” projects: Muns presented a set of 10 major projects that he said will be transformative for Plano. He described them as a mix of new developments and large redevelopments, including:
- Envision Oak Point (a 730‑acre long‑range planning area and “Northeast Gateway” with initial development called Assembly Park);
- Collin Creek redevelopment, described by the mayor as a $1,000,000,000 project that will transform the former Collin Creek Mall into a mixed‑use, pedestrian‑oriented area with parks and trails and a mix of housing types;
- Haggard Farms redevelopment, preserving the family’s legacy property and adding commercial, residential and event space anchored by a destination venue called the Almanac;
- Redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend into an open‑air mixed‑use village (referred to by the mayor as “the Bend”);
- Texas Research Quarter (TRQ), a life‑science real‑estate development centered on the former Electronic Data Systems campus with more than 3,000,000 square feet of planned life‑science space in a public‑private partnership with NexPoint;
- Park at Legacy reimagining (mixed‑use upgrades adjacent to the Legacy campus) and a new five‑acre city park enabled by a $15,000,000 donation the mayor described as located near Legacy Drive and Headquarters Drive;
- Preservation and partial redevelopment of LaVaughn Farms as a rural preserve and micro‑farm with educational uses and community gardens;
- Other campus modernizations and redevelopment efforts across Legacy and other office parks to attract life‑science, technology and other employers.

Infrastructure, parks and services: Muns highlighted street and utility work across the city—he said the city has repaired about 25 percent of streets and alleys in the last four years and listed ongoing projects including Parker Road (where a waterline replacement was completed and concrete replacement and an asphalt overlay remain), Park Boulevard, Plano Parkway, Legacy Drive, Spring Creek Parkway and other streets. He also noted expanded trails and parks (citing Oak Point Park Nature Reserve and the Caddo Trail), ongoing library renovations at Plano’s five public libraries and expanded library outreach to senior living facilities.

Housing and community programs: The mayor said neighborhood services is collaborating with neighboring Collin County cities on housing issues, the Great Update rebate program was revised to provide more value to homeowners and the city has implemented a utility assistance program for residents needing help with bills. He also noted a joint interlocal agreement with Plano ISD to purchase three school properties and said the city is studying a nonprofit hub with Serve Denton, a nine‑month study involving more than 60 organizations.

Numbers and clarifications from the address: Muns gave several numerical summaries during the speech. He said the city created over 12,000 jobs and cited roughly $909 million in investment tied to company relocations and expansions. He described Delta Electronics’ planned expansion as nearly 1,500,000 square feet and said it expects to employ about 1,500 people by 2031. He said Align Data Centers’ project is about 425,000 square feet and $212 million. The mayor said the city is “built out” with about 4 percent of land remaining for new growth. Some figures in the speech were spoken rapidly and appeared garbled in the recording (for example, the transcript’s phrasing of total square footage tied to multiple deals and one multifamily unit count); where precise totals were not clearly stated in the address, the article reports the mayor’s broad characterizations rather than inventing exact counts.

What did not change today: The speech did not record any formal council votes or ordinances. The mayor said the bond measure “will be put before Plano residents this May,” presented as an announcement rather than as the result of a vote taken at the event.

Closing: Muns closed by urging continued reinvestment and redevelopment to keep Plano “a city of excellence” and said the city will continue pursuing the projects he outlined, subject to the normal planning, permitting and funding processes.