The Stars’ $3 billion arena and mixed-use development project in Plano, Tex., isn’t just about the NHL team getting its own facility, but a bet on the future trends across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The Plano City Council last week approved a non-binding letter of intent with the Stars that contemplates the sports-centered project at the Shops at Willow Bend mall site. That governmental step allows for continued negotiation toward long-form agreements between the team and local officials, and codifies a plan first reported by Front Office Sports last fall.
“We’re basically engaged now and we’re working on the final steps to get married,” Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts tells FOS about the team’s relationship with Plano. “And we certainly have no intention of walking away.”
That deal with Plano calls for $700 million in public funding toward a $1 billion arena, with the additional development around it projected to cost another $2 billion.
A Changing Metroplex
