Two small businesses at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano were hit by thieves over the weekend and into Monday morning, suffering significant losses just as the mall prepares for a major redevelopment tied to the Dallas Stars.
Cutlery Collection and Pipe and Palette both reported break-ins that occurred after closing Sunday and again Monday morning. The burglaries struck at a particularly difficult time for the tenants, who are already navigating the uncertainty of the mall’s upcoming transformation.
Karl Monk, the owner of Cutlery Collection, said his store lost more than $50,000 worth of inventory. Among the stolen items were pocket knives, swords, shaving brushes, and razors.
Monk noted that the thieves even took the helmet off a decorative suit of armor he keeps displayed in his shop window. He has nicknamed the armor Rusty and said the figure now stands in the window without its helmet after the theft.
Pipe and Palette, an art-focused event business also located in the mall, was similarly targeted during the same window of time. Details on the full extent of that store’s losses were not immediately available.
The Shops at Willow Bend has been the subject of significant attention in recent months due to plans to redevelop the property in connection with the Dallas Stars hockey franchise. The burglaries add an unsettling chapter to an already transitional period for the Plano shopping center.
Plano police are investigating the incidents. No arrests have been announced at this time and it remains unclear how many individuals may have been involved in the break-ins.