Watter’s Creek sets the standard for all-inclusive resort-style living, shopping and dining

by Karyn Brodsky | Staff Writer

Escape to a luxurious serene setting with open spaces where you can shop, dine al fresco, enjoy beautiful works of art and attend exciting special events. Exotic vacation to a faraway destination? Nope. This fun and festive venue is only about 15 minutes away in Allen, TX.

Welcome to Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm, a resort-style lifestyle shopping center situated in a soothing natural environment. Located on 52 acres accessible from U.S. 75 and Bethany Road, Watters Creek is home to a variety of retail shops, from nationally branded stores to locally owned boutiques. Restaurants run the gamut from light casual to fine dining with water views, and shoppers and diners can enjoy a large creek side village, green, lush landscapes, a children’s play area and interactive public art. Plus, luxury residential lofts and over 97,000 square feet of Class AA unparalleled office space let you live and work where you shop.

Watters Creek was developed with a “green technique” that takes advantage of the area’s natural beauty, and while the trees and grass at Watters Creek are decidedly green in color, the rest of the surroundings, shops and restaurants have also “gone green”. Conservation-focused designs and wide-open spaces make Watters Creek eco-friendly and earned it the distinction of being the first retail development in the State of Texas to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition to on-site recycling programs and recycled materials used for construction, Watters Creek has implemented other sustainability programs. For instance, erecting buildings and parking garages upward versus building outward makes optimal use of land resources and saves space. Well water is used in Watters Creek’s pond, creek and irrigation, and efficient plumbing fixtures save an estimated 1,000 gallons of water per day. Ozone-friendly air conditioners are in use, and refillable water bottles are available at the shopping center’s vending machine which can be filled with natural spring water at the Reuse-Refill-Refresh Station. Using increased wall and ceiling insulation and reflective rooftop material conserves energy, and management estimates that in one year’s time, enough energy will be saved to power 30 homes for the same time frame.

Tree preservation is also quite evident. Of the 500 trees planted at Watters Creek, more than two dozen mature trees were saved from other local projects. In addition, the 150-year-old pecan tree near the pond is certified as a historical tree by the City of Allen.

Watters Creek not only supports environmental sustainability, it is also socially responsible. While parking is free in the retail center’s three garages, all net proceeds collected at metered street parking spots are donated to local charities through the Change for Charity program and used to host community events at Watters Creek.