The estimated cost of the arena would be about $1 billion, with a $2 billion entertainment district around it. And the deal just took a step forward.
PLANO, Texas — The future home of the Dallas Stars is beginning to take shape.
On Monday night, the Plano City Council released new renderings of a proposed arena and entertainment district that would bring the NHL franchise north, out of Downtown Dallas and into Collin County.
Councilmembers also took several steps toward securing the deal to move the team out of its namesake city.
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The council unanimously signed off on a letter of intent that formalizes negotiations, created a new taxing district, and approved a plan to give the current owners of the Willow Bend Mall property an approximately $15 million grant to help with demolition.
They also approved a resolution allowing them to call for a future election that would give voters a chance to weigh in on raising the city’s hotel occupancy tax rate and taxes on car rentals and parking revenue in the development.
Plano Mayor John Muns said it’s a historic step for the city, but it’s only a first step.
He’s aware that the city of Dallas has said it’s continuing to work to keep the team.
“We’ve been talking with stars for almost a year and a half. I think we’ve developed a rapport of trust,” he said when asked if he thought the franchise might be using Plano to leverage a deal in Dallas.
“I think the Stars need to come to a place like Plano. They’re revenue has got to increase compared to what they have right now, and we can help in a big way here in Plano.”
The renderings revealed a first look at a hockey-specific arena that would anchor a large-scale redevelopment project at The Shops at Willow Bend, a roughly 90-acre site near the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 161.
The mixed-use development surrounding would include retail, dining, and entertainment spaces as well as hotel and residential offerings.
Our first look at early renderings of the proposed arena development in Plano for the @DallasStars.@wfaa pic.twitter.com/rmjKUp5SBj
— Teresa Woodard (@twoodard8) June 9, 2026
During public comment at Monday’s council meeting several speakers raised concerns about traffic, safety, and the impact on surounding neighborhoods.
They also criticized a city giving a private entity like the Dallas Stars public assistance.
“Public-funded arenas are good at generating excitement, and bad at generating the returns that they promise,” said one resident.
“This is nothing more than a corporate welfare scheme,” one speaker said.
The tax district councilmembers approved Monday night means about $700 million in tax revenue that’s brought in will stay in that development.
The rest of the city would not benefit from it.
Residents also expressed fears they’d be in the same situation Dallas now finds itself in — with franchises leaving an arena after a 30-year lease expires.
“Sports teams constantly move. When I lived in Phoenix, I watched the Arizona coyotes. They’re now in Utah. We have the Vegas Raiders, the Rams move constantly, and now the Bears are leaving Chicago,” said one speaker. “I have concerns in the future we’ll have a dead stadium.”
Councilmember Steve Lavine reminded residents that nothing is a done deal yet.
“We’ll be voting on aspects of this for months and years as this gets development,” Lavine said. “Now the work begins.”
If approved and completed, the arena would mark a major shift for the Stars, which has shared the American Airlines Center with the Dallas Mavericks since 2001. The leases for both teams expire in 2031, amid an ongoing legal dispute between the two organizations over their partnership and management of the venue.
“I’d like to thank Mayor Muns and the entire Plano City Council for their support, and their approval of our letter of intent and several other items connected to the redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend,” says Dallas Stars Owner, Governor and Chairman Tom Gaaglardi. “We look forward to taking the next steps in the journey toward making Plano our new home in 2031.”
The proposed development would replace the aging Willow Bend mall with a modern entertainment hub centered around the Stars’ new home ice.
The conversation with Plano has gone on for months. Plano’s mayor previously told WFAA in December that it made an offer to the team, hoping to lure them into Collin County.
Stars officials have indicated the move could happen within the next five years, pending approvals and construction timelines.
