The Shops at Willow Bend is getting a $100 million makeover from its new owners, who say it needs major changes to reach its potential.

Starwood Retail Partners bought the Plano shopping center a year ago from the original developer, Taubman Centers Inc.

Major additions will include a class A office tower, a hotel and an entertainment district with six to eight restaurants. Starwood is still working on its plans for residences and another fashion anchor store.

The project will begin early next year with the razing of the 125,000-square-foot former Saks Fifth Avenue. The addition in its place will be the "architectural focal point" of the mall's new main entrance facing east toward the Dallas North Tollway.

The first phase of the work will be completed in 2017 and the total project completed in 2019, Starwood said. The company promises the redevelopment will be highly visible from the tollway, with a "vibrant, welcoming façade that expresses a sense of arrival" for people visiting the center.

"Plano is experiencing terrific growth, and our vision for Willow Bend is in step with the city's business, shopping and entertainment plans for the future," said Scott Wolstein, CEO of Starwood Retail Partners.

The original developer tried to make the mall into a high-priced, super luxury center that was built around Neiman Marcus, Wolstein said, but the demographics for the area are much broader than just luxury shoppers.

"The demand for merchandise went beyond the initial Prada, Gucci and Armani level," he said. "Neiman Marcus can serve that customer, and it does very well. Dillard's, Macy's, Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel and Apple all do extremely well."

Those tenants are all sought after by shopping center landlords, he said, and "we're very happy to have that base in the mall. The hard work is done.

"We're going to re-energize it into the mall it could be and should be," he said.