Burlington Coat Factory is shrinking its footprint on S. Plano Road in Richardson, cutting its 74,000-square-foot store in half to make room for a new tenant that could bring a movie theater, bowling alley, or fitness center to the long-standing retail site. The Richardson City Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning request during its meeting last Thursday.
The property owners, represented by Maxwell Fisher of ZoneDev, requested the rezoning to allow additional uses in the vacant half of the building once Burlington downsizes, according to Community Impact. Fisher told commissioners the property is under-utilized, and while he said a fitness center is the most likely new tenant, the approved zoning amendment casts a much wider net. The building sits within what was once the Richardson Square Mall complex, where Sears operated a department store from March 1974 until it closed in March 2019, according to the Malls and Retail Wiki.
What Could Move Into the Other Half
The rezoning amendment explicitly permits nine destination-style uses for the newly vacant space, including a movie theater, bowling alley, martial arts school, fine arts studio, print shop, veterinary office, health club, and pet sales and grooming business, per the outlet’s report. At the same time, the amendment bars five higher-intensity uses meant to address neighborhood concerns: a convenience store, child-care center, car wash, motor vehicle repair or service shop, and smoking establishment.
That balance — opening the door to entertainment and fitness tenants while shutting out heavier traffic generators — reflects concessions worked out during the review process, the report notes. Richardson Senior Planner Derica Peters presented the site plan to commissioners, outlining a list of physical upgrades required as part of the deal. Those include four new landscape islands with canopy trees and an additional lighting fixture on the property.
Property Owners Pledge Visible Upgrades
Beyond landscaping, the property owners plan to repaint the building, complete roof work, and add architectural elements to the entrance, addressing what the site plan describes as a lack of visibility along the corridor. Fisher, who serves as founder and principal consultant at ZoneDev, is an AICP-certified planner who spent four years on the Garland Plan Commission and previously worked as a municipal planner in both Garland and Galveston…