Dallas officials have stated that they want the Dallas Stars to remain in Dallas as the team eyes a potential move to the suburbs — and council member Chad West is the latest to join those calls.
West, the chairman of the city’s ad hoc committee on professional sports recruitment and retention, met with Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts at the team’s relatively new Dallas headquarters Tuesday.
The Stars posted a photo of the two after their meeting, and West took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his stance on the Stars’ future.
Sports Roundup
“Thanks to [Alberts] for inviting me to check out the Dallas Stars’ executive offices in downtown Dallas,” West said. “Our team is called the ‘Dallas’ Stars for a reason, as they belong in our city now and in decades to come.”
The Stars have contemplated leaving the City of Dallas and are eyeing a new arena in Plano at the Shops at Willow Bend Mall site after their lease at American Airlines Center expires in 2031. The Stars have played at American Airlines Center since 2001 and in Dallas since the team relocated from Minnesota in 1993.
One primary reason behind the potential relocation is an ongoing legal battle with their AAC co-tenant, the Dallas Mavericks. The two teams are suing one another over a contract dispute where the Mavericks allege the Stars are in violation of their franchise agreement with the City of Dallas that requires both teams have their headquarters within Dallas. The Stars have had their primary headquarters in Frisco since 2003.
The City of Dallas has sided with the Mavericks on the matter.
However, after the Mavericks informed the Stars of their contract breach last October, the Stars opened an additional headquarters in Dallas, where Alberts and West met Tuesday. The Stars say they plan to further expand the Dallas headquarters while also maintaining their Frisco headquarters at Comerica Center.
No final decision has yet been made on whether the Stars will stay or leave Dallas after 2031, but Alberts told The News in October that a decision would come in the next six-to-eight months.
If the Stars leave, they are hoping to build an entertainment district on 75 acres of land.
“I think the biggest problem that we have with staying in Dallas is that we don’t have that,” Alberts told The News last month. “We don’t control any of the real estate outside of the building. We’re looking for that opportunity that can create 365-day-a-year revenue outside and also having an incredible in-venue, in-arena experience.”
On Twitter/X: @Lassimak
How to watch Stars-Oilers: TV, streaming info as Dallas takes on playoff rivalNHL suspends Stars’ Mikko Rantanen for one game after second game misconduct of week