Plano voters weigh 5 venue taxes for Willow Bend Stars arena on Nov. 3

Plano voters will be asked on Nov. 3, 2026 to authorize five capped venue taxes that would help pay for a proposed Dallas Stars arena district at The Shops at Willow Bend. For hotel owners and landowners around the mall site in Collin County, the vote sets the cost of visitor-driven revenue before any construction starts.

Why it matters

The measure is the funding gate for a project the city has framed as a sports and entertainment district: venues, retail, restaurants, residential and public space on the Willow Bend mall property. The city page says the council voted Aug. 10 to put the taxes before voters. Nothing is authorized yet; this is a proposal until the ballots are counted.

For developers, the structure matters more than the arena. Revenue tied to hotel rooms, rental cars, parking and tickets means the district’s financing leans on visitor activity, not on a property tax rate change. Neighboring owners should watch how the district is phased.

The city’s June 8 release described a non-binding Letter of Intent with the Stars and an incentive agreement with Levin Holdings and Cawley Partners. It also described a tax increment reinvestment zone along the Dallas North Tollway. We did not locate the calling ordinance itself, so the terms below come from the city’s project page.

The numbers

• Short-term motor vehicle rental tax: up to 5%.
• Hotel occupancy tax: an increase of up to 2%, for a combined maximum of 15%.
• Event parking tax: up to $3 per vehicle.
• Event admissions tax: up to 10% of the ticket price.
• Venue facility use tax: up to $5,000 per game per major league team member.

Project cost is not stated on the city page, so we are not repeating outlet totals here.

What’s next

Election day is Nov. 3. If voters approve, the city would still need the remaining agreements and approvals the June release outlined. If they decline, the tax-backed funding path described by the city does not proceed as presented.

More on the region at Dallas.