Early voting for Plano's Jan. 31 special election begins Jan. 14. Here’s what Plano voters need to know before heading to the polls.

Some context: Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Julie Holmer announced her resignation from Plano City Council as she launched a campaign for Precinct 4 of the Collin County Commissioners Court, which represents most of Plano and Allen. The county seat will be up for election in 2026. Plano City Council members formally accepted Holmer’s resignation at their Oct. 27 meeting.

What’s on the ballot: Candidates Shun Thomas and Colleen Aguilar-Epstein are running for Plano City Council’s Place 7 seat. Both candidates participated in a Q&A with Community Impact after the filing period closed Dec. 1. For the Jan. 31 special election, early voting starts Jan. 14 and will run through Jan. 27.

Mike’s Chicken is set to open Jan. 14 in south Plano near the Richardson border across Renner Road from Methodist Richardson Medical Center.

On the menu: Mike’s Chicken menu features a variety of fried chicken options including tenders, wings, dark meat, white meat and more. Additional menu items include sandwiches, salads, baked beans, french fries, coleslaw and more.

• 3345 E. President George Bush Highway, Plano

See five transportation projects happening around Dallas Fort Worth. 

Collin County

1. Lebanon Road widening

Project: Lebanon Road will be widened from a four-lane roadway to a six-lane divided roadway from FM 423 to Todd Drive. Improvements include pavement reconstruction, bridge repair, drainage improvements and street light replacement, among others.

Update: Construction was anticipated to begin in December 2025.

Timeline: October 2025-late 2027

Cost: $22.99 million

Funding sources: city of Frisco, external funding

The Dallas-Fort Worth retail market’s occupancy rate climbed again in 2025, according to Texas-based real estate firm Weitzman’s latest annual forecast.

The full story: Dallas-Fort Worth finished 2025 with a retail occupancy of 95.3%, an increase to the record occupancy first reported in 2023. Executive Managing Director Bob Young called it a “retail three-peat.”

“For the first time in our [survey’s 36-year history], three years in a row, occupancy has been at record levels,” he said. “Right now, we’re celebrating the market’s highest-ever occupancy of 95.3%.”

More information: Occupancy wasn’t the only measurement that increased since last year’s report. Total inventory increased to 202 million square feet and new construction increased to 2.4 million square feet delivered, according to the retail market report. Vacant space fell to 9.5 million square feet from 9.7 million square feet in 2024.

Grocery store anchors such as H-E-B, Kroger and Target accounted for more than 1.9 million square feet of all new space delivered, Young said. That trend is expected to continue in 2026.