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Best of Plano Profile: 2018's top stories

The past year was a big one in Collin County. Although we may have lost out on the long-rumored Amazon HQ2, we gained so much throughout the course of these past 12 months.
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Photo credit: Cori Baker

The past year was a big one in Collin County. Although we may have lost out on the long-rumored Amazon HQ2, we gained so much throughout the course of these past 12 months. Plano, once nothing but pastures and greenery, is now growing exponentially as a thriving business, medical and arts district. Everyone you encounter in Plano has a story, and every story will make an impact on someone’s life. Below are thirteen of Plano Profile‘s most impactful stories of 2018.

31 New Restaurants

One of many great things about Plano is that no one is ever short of any delicious food and drink options. This past year, Plano saw the opening of The District at Willow Bend, which houses great restaurants like Terra Mediterranean, Mexican Bar Co., and Knife. Bulla, Toulouse and Kai opened in Legacy West, offering diners cuisine from Spain, France, and Japan. East Plano’s new Heritage Creekside opened Rodeo Goat and Flying Fish. Several new restaurants are slated to open in 2019, many as part of the new Legacy Central district. We at Plano Profile look forward to sharing updates with you throughout next year.

Rodeo Goat opened this past fall in Plano’s Heritage Creekside district | Via @RodeoGoatDallas on Facebook

Read more: 31 new restaurants now open (or coming soon) in Collin County

In Brandi Land with Brandi Redmond

Brandi Redmond is best known as the well-meaning, “Jesus juice” drinking, wild redhead on The Real Housewives of Dallas (RHOD). According to BravoTV.com, her claim to fame is being a five-time Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and that she “has no problem cartwheeling her way into the Dallas Drama.” That’s Drama with a capital D. Of course, that’s the Brandi we see on television. Reality TV star, business owner, and mother of three, Brandi Redmond is so much more than a housewife. This past September, she made an appearance at Plano Profile’s cover party for the Fashion Issue. The party took place at Industrious Plano.

Read more: In Brandi Land with Brandi Redmond

Uber Elevate

Beginning in 2020, Uber Elevate will begin testing flying cars in Frisco. These flying cars are designed to provide an alternative to traditional ground transportation. As of now, the drive from Frisco to DFW Airport makes for an hour and ten-minute long trek. With Uber Elevate, the journey would only take an estimated time of ten minutes. Veriports for Uber Elevate are currently in talks for areas like Downtown Plano, Legacy Business District, and Frisco Station.

Read more: Commuters boarding an EVOTL. Image courtesy of an Uber Elevate video on YouTube

Best Brunches

Sixty Vines, Taverna, and XO Coffee were just a few of the restaurants named for having the best brunches in Plano this year. All the more reason to get up early on a Sunday morning.

Photo credit: Cori Baker

Read more: Best Brunches in Plano 2018

Collin Creek Mall Revamp

After years of struggling to stay afloat, Collin Creek Mall is set to move forward with a long overdue renovation project. Centurion Development Group purchased the Collin Creek shopping center for $1 billion, and will add new restaurants, office spaces, and upgraded retail stores. The facelift is set to commence in January of 2019.

Collin Creek Mall will undergo a major renovation project beginning early 2019 | Photo by David Downs Photography

Read more: Collin Creek Mall to undergo $1B revamp

Jim Lentz considers Plano his most daring achievement

When Toyota announced the relocation of its North American headquarters to Plano, residents were elated at the idea of new economic and career opportunities. Toyota CEO Jim Lentz sat down with Plano Profile for an interview for the March 2018 Men’s Issue. Lentz discussed a variety of topics, including his early career beginnings, his favorite motivational quotes, and his secrets to success. In this interview, Lentz also cited the relocation of Toyota HQ as his “most daring achievement.”

Read more: Toyota CEO Jim Lentz considers Plano his most daring achievement

Is Plano ready for its own version of Klyde Warren Park?

As Plano is quickly becoming more urbanized with restaurants and retail shops, the number of park areas in town are beginning to decline. In October, City of Plano’s Parks and Recreation presented a master plan to Plano City Council during a public hearing. In the master plan were long-term goals and needs for the city’s park, recreational, and nature facilities, along with new ideas. Among these ideas was a deck park, similar to that of Klyde Warren Park in Downtown Dallas. The deck park is proposed to be located over the Dallas North Tollway, serving as a link between Legacy Town Center and Legacy West.

Read more: Plano plans to clone Klyde Warren with deck park over Dallas North Tollway

How Sam Moon became a real estate empire

Sam Moon Trading Co. was founded in 1984 by David Moon. Born in Seoul, Korea, David came to the United States in 1969 as a wig salesman. Today, he is 77 and serves as chief executive and chairman of the Sam Moon Group. The Sam Moon Group is known for owning many real estate developments throughout north Texas, including the Renaissance Hotel in Legacy West, which cost $115 million to build.

Read more: How Sam Moon became a real estate empire

Diane Reeve tells her own story of survival

For August’s Crime Issue, Diane Reeve shared a chilling tale of how her ex-boyfriend was a serial cheater who knowingly infected her, among many other women, with HIV. Today, Reeve teaches self-defense and acts as a board member for The Turning Point, Collin County’s only rape crisis center, as well as Health Services of North Texas, a nonprofit organization that offers medical care, including treatment for HIV and AIDS. She has written a book called Standing Strong and works to eliminate social stigmas surrounding HIV.

Read more: Deadly Weapon: Diane Reeve tells her own story of survival

Oprah Winfrey speaks at Feed Just One Gala

This past April, Daytime TV queen Oprah Winfrey delivered a powerful keynote at Minnie’s Food Pantry’s Feed Just One Gala, which took place at Omni Frisco in The Star. Also in attendance were boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, NFL hall of famer Emmitt Smith with his wife, Pat, actress Brely Evans and talented artists like Israel Houghton, Donnie McClurkin and Kenny Lattimore. The event pulled in a total of $1.3 million in donations.

Read more: 1.3 million things we learned from Oprah Winfrey at the Feed Just One Gala

Rutledge Haggard talks Plano’s past and future

If you’ve lived in Plano for any amount of time you’ve surely seen the name “Haggard” somewhere around town. Rutledge Haggard is the great-great-grandson of the Haggards who settled here in 1856, just before the Civil War. In an interview, Haggard talked about the history of Plano, his family’s legacy, and what he anticipates for Plano in the future.

Photo credit: Cori Baker

Read more: Rutledge Haggard talks Plano’s past and future

Finding Christina Morris

Nearly everyone in Plano was emotionally invested in the Christina Morris trial. The thought of suddenly disappearing is frightening enough, but it’s an entirely different story when it happens in your own backyard. Over the course of the past four years, members of Team Christina congregated in an effort to find closure for Morris’s disappearance. Although Morris’s remains have since been discovered and she has been declared legally dead, Team Morris still continues to make efforts to help the community find other missing people.

Read more: Finding Christina Morris

Plano newborn fights meningitis

This past July, our editor and our publisher, Rebecca and Philip Silvestri welcomed their second child, Luna Rose. Five days later, they noticed that Luna was shaking unprovoked. After sending a video to midwife Dr. Teri Mitchell, Rebecca and Philip were directed to take Luna to Children’s Health immediately. While at Children’s Health, Luna received various medical treatments for UTI, pneumonia, and meningitis. 15 days later, Luna was able to return home happier and healthier than ever.

Read more: Plano newborn fights meningitis

We at Plano Profile would like to thank our loyal readers for making this year possible. We appreciate everyone who has liked, shared and subscribed throughout this past year. May your new year be filled with joy, happiness, health, success, and blessings.