When will marriage between Plano and Dallas Stars become official? Mayor provides timeline

The two sides have been talking since early 2025; Mayor John Muns joins Inside Texas Politics to say more about the negotiations and what the city is offering

DALLAS — As the city of Plano and the Dallas Stars move forward with their pending nuptials, the question now is when will they exchange vows, say “I-Do” and make the partnership official?

Plano Mayor John Muns provided a timeline on Inside Texas Politics.

“We’re hoping by the end of the summer, early fall,” Muns shared.

This story continues below.

In the meantime, it remains a non-binding agreement. But the Plano City Council’s vote to accept the letter of intent and provide public funding for the project moves it forward, perhaps beyond the point of no return.

Mayor Muns says Plano leaders and Stars officials have been meeting, low profile, for a year and a half now. And the Stars initially reached out to them, expressing interest in the Willow Bend Mall site located at the Dallas North Tollway and Park Boulevard in Plano.

Muns tells us he’s not worried about the rug being pulled out from underneath his city, even as a desperate Dallas may try to make a last-minute move to keep the team at its current home at the American Airlines Center, or even just within Dallas city limits.

“I can’t imagine that they would do that, but at the same time, anything’s possible,” said the Mayor. “In that year-and-a-half, we’ve developed a lot of trust between the two parties, the Stars and the city of Plano. And I think the Stars have realized the city of Plano, when they say they’re going to do something, they do it.”

In the meantime, Plano will work on a master agreement with the NHL team, while the mall developer works through its partnership agreements.

The Plano City Council also did its part, unanimously approving four agenda items to bring the Stars north.

Council members first approved the letter of intent.

They also created a new TIRZ, or tax increment reinvestment zone, that will make it easier to attract other development and businesses to that area. This zone would encompass roughly 900 acres on the east and west sides of the Dallas North Tollway around Park Blvd. The state Comptroller has to approve any new TIRZ, and the city has already submitted it. This particular zone would last 41 years.

Council also agreed to spend $15 million to help demolish the old Willow Bend Mall site.

And finally, they began the process of setting an election for Plano residents to decide whether to approve venue taxes to help build and maintain the arena site. Sports fans are already familiar with this concept in other cities, as these would be the additional taxes visitors pay at hotels, restaurants, and even on rental cars.

The Mayor tells us the venue tax election will be held November 3.

“We have agreed to provide $700 million for the $3 billion development. But that $700 million will go directly to the arena because the city of Plano will own the arena. The Stars will lease it from the city of Plano,” the Mayor explained.

Beyond the business nature of the deal – and the gobs of money it promises to create – Mayor Muns is most excited about the idea that the city will own the arena, which means opportunities for Plano that have never existed.

“Music venue. Entertainment venue. Be able to have graduation in Plano for the first time ever. And I know that seems simple, but it’s a big deal to the community that’s lived here, like myself for all my life,” he said.

But there is one issue the Mayor says looms larger than all others, and residents have let him know about it… traffic. If you’ve driven on Park west of Preston, you know it can already get quite sticky in that area. And that doesn’t even include traffic on the tollway, as Plano and the rest of Collin County continue to grow and attract headquarters and businesses.

The Mayor says they will hire traffic consultants for a study and, most importantly, hold town halls for residents.

Muns calls traffic the number one priority.

“We think we have a site that has eight different exits all the way around the property. It’s a 100 acre property. We have multiple avenues to get people onto streets. Nobody’s going to have to be all on the same street to get out or to get in. But we have to make sure that it’s feasible, that we can work through that,” explained the Mayor.