{"id":319870,"date":"2026-06-02T22:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T22:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/319870\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T22:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T22:49:09","slug":"dallas-stars-pick-planos-willow-bend-for-new-arena-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/319870\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Stars pick Plano’s Willow Bend for new arena site"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Dallas Stars<\/a>\u00a0have chosen Plano for their future home, a move that puts downtown Dallas on the verge of losing both of its major professional sports franchises.<\/p>\n

The team\u00a0announced Tuesday it\u00a0has signed\u00a0a nonbinding letter of intent\u00a0to build\u00a0an arena and entertainment district\u00a0at\u00a0The Shops at Willow Bend<\/a>\u00a0site.\u00a0The letter\u00a0was\u00a0submitted\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0Plano City Council\u00a0and placed on the agenda for\u00a0a vote during\u00a0Monday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project would present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our franchise,\u201d Stars\u00a0owner Tom Gaglardi said in a statement. \u201cWe eagerly await the vote by the Plano City Council and look forward to continuing the conversation to be part of the redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The decision comes one day after the Mavericks moved to secure the former Valley View Mall site for a potential arena and entertainment district.<\/a>\u00a0Together, the twin developments would leave American Airlines Center without its two biggest draws after the teams’ leases expire in 2031.<\/p>\n

“While this news is certainly disappointing, I would not characterize it as a setback for Dallas,” Dallas council member Adam\u00a0Bazaldua said. “What is most disappointing is that Dallas taxpayers supported this franchise for decades. Our residents invested in its success, and many will feel that the loyalty and support they provided was not fully reciprocated. That said, the future challenges and responsibilities associated with this decision now belong to Plano.”<\/p>\n

The Stars\u2019 move has been telegraphed for months, driven by the pursuit of a more sustainable business model<\/a>\u00a0and unfolding at the same time\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0Mavericks<\/a> pursued both a\u00a0new arena\u00a0and legal action against the Stars.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Mavericks\u00a0sued\u00a0the hockey franchise in late October<\/a>, alleging the Stars were in breach of a clause in their 1998 franchise agreement that requires their corporate headquarters to be\u00a0located\u00a0within the city of Dallas.\u00a0The Stars, who\u00a0relocated\u00a0to Texas in 1993, have played at American Airlines Center since it opened in 2001 and have had their\u00a0headquarters in Frisco since 2003.<\/p>\n

A judge sided with the Mavericks on every significant issue in the case before it reached trial, giving the\u00a0NBA team control of the arena. The Stars filed an appeal last month.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0roughly 90-acre\u00a0mall property at 6121 W. Park Blvd.\u00a0emerged\u00a0as the favorite to land the NHL franchise\u00a0when the Stars began exploring options outside Dallas\u00a0last fall. The Stars spoke to at least eight other cities about\u00a0relocating, including Frisco, The Colony,\u00a0Arlington\u00a0and Fort Worth.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlano has built a reputation as a city that welcomes world-class partners and community-focused investment,\u201d Plano Mayor John Muns said in a statement. \u201cThe Dallas Stars are an iconic North Texas organization, and we are encouraged by their interest as conversations move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plano City Council will be asked to approve several measures regarding the move, including the letter of intent to open negotiations for terms for the arena.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The larger mixed-use district, being advanced jointly with Levin Holdings and\u00a0Cawley Partners and Centennial, could include sports, entertainment, retail, dining and public gathering spaces centered around the new arena. The letter of intent includes design plans for the arena.<\/p>\n

Under the proposed agreements, the city would own the site and the arena and enter into an initial 30-year lease agreement with the team. The terms are to be negotiated, according to city documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The cost of constructing the arena is estimated around $1 billion or more, according to city documents, and the city plans to contribute $700 million in funding through bonds backed by revenue from a tax increment reinvestment zone.<\/p>\n

The 1.4-million-square-foot Shops at Willow Bend, the last enclosed mall built in Texas, opened in 2001. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent by previous owners, the mall has struggled to attract sufficient shoppers and stores.<\/p>\n

The most recent plans\u00a0called\u00a0for mixed-used development with less retail space.\u00a0The Neiman Marcus department store at\u00a0the location\u00a0is set to close by the beginning of 2027.\u00a0Another anchor, Macy\u2019s, backed out of the mall earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Brad Alberts, the Stars CEO and president, said\u00a0in the fall that\u00a0the team would need to begin construction in 2028 or 2029 to be ready for the 2031-32 season.<\/p>\n

The 1999 Stanley Cup champion Stars believe the move will unlock new revenue streams that best position the franchise for long-term sustainability, enhance the fan experience and enable them to remain perennial championship contenders. Alberts told\u00a0The News\u00a0in October that the team was\u00a0seeking\u00a0to build an arena and surrounding entertainment district that would create \u201c365-day revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

That would be \u201cessential to the health of sports and entertainment businesses, especially NHL businesses that depend on local revenue far more than others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the biggest problem that we have with staying in Dallas is that we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have that. We\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0control any of the real estate outside of the building.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0looking for that opportunity that can create 365-day-a-year revenue outside\u00a0and also\u00a0have an incredible in-venue, in-arena experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

In November, Alberts told\u00a0The News\u00a0a Collin County home could address four specific financial pain points the team confronts at American Airlines Center. He believes the new arena would enable the franchise to tap into dollars from\u00a0the\u00a0mixed-use entertainment development; cut luxury suite inventory in half to 50; innovate sponsorship assets; and increase premium seating inventory by as many as 4,000.<\/p>\n

The News\u00a0asked Alberts whether he believed it was possible to sufficiently address the team\u2019s economic pain points with American Airlines Center as constructed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re going to stay in a hockey-only arena [if the Dallas Mavericks leave when the AAC lease expires in 2031], you\u2019ve got to significantly reimagine that arena,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be prepared to position this arena for the future, not where it\u2019s been \u2014 and that\u2019s going to take a significant financial investment in order to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alberts made clear that, barring unforeseen large-scale renovations to American Airlines Center, which would\u00a0likely cost\u00a0more than half a billion dollars, the Stars believe\u00a0they\u00a0need\u00a0to move or\u00a0risk\u00a0being\u00a0left\u00a0behind.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bob Heere, a University of North Texas professor of sports management and director of UNT Sports Innovation Space, said consumer habits and advancing technology have\u00a0rendered\u00a0American Airlines Center outdated in the 25 years since it was built.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican Airlines Center is beautiful, it\u2019s historic, but it\u2019s very limited in meeting the demands of the 21st century,\u201d Heere said.<\/p>\n

One primary issue has been the scarcity of premium seating, which for Stars games is\u00a0located\u00a0behind the glass and on the suite levels. It affords those\u00a0fans\u00a0other\u00a0perks\u00a0a growing number of consumers\u00a0expect:\u00a0high-end hospitality experiences, enhanced food and beverages and premium club access.<\/p>\n

The Stars want fewer luxury suites \u2014 which are\u00a0located\u00a0between the upper and lower bowls and usually seat 12 to 18 people in their own private space \u2014 to create more space for bars,\u00a0restaurants\u00a0and social areas.<\/p>\n

In a typical year, the Stars generate between $230 million and $245 million in revenue \u2014 roughly\u00a0middle\u00a0of the pack among NHL teams \u2014 team executives told\u00a0The News.<\/p>\n

One NHL document, which the Stars\u00a0showed\u00a0The News,\u00a0details how\u00a0they\u00a0significantly\u00a0lag behind\u00a0fellow\u00a0NHL teams\u00a0in\u00a0revenue per game from premium seating. Despite the size and affluence of the Dallas-Fort\u00a0Worth\u00a0market,\u00a0the Stars rank 29th out of 32 teams, generating $257,000 per game.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0less\u00a0than half the league average of $520,000 per game.<\/p>\n

Alberts believes the shortfall\u00a0points directly to the incongruent match between the turn-of-the-century American Airlines Center and the modern-day demands of the NHL team\u2019s business model.<\/p>\n

The Stars would seek to create as many as 4,000 more premium seats in Plano, Alberts said. In turn, the added inventory would require\u00a0additional\u00a0in-venue premium clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cDallas is a premium market,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cWe want to be able to meet that expectation, meet that demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alberts also believes a new arena will enable the franchise to innovate sponsorship assets, thus generating additional revenue. For the 2024-25 season, the Stars had 109 brand partners, with the average deal worth between $380,000 and $445,000, according to data provided to The News\u00a0by\u00a0SponsorUnited, a data analytics firm that provides market intelligence on sports sponsorship deals.<\/p>\n

Victory Park, the entertainment district surrounding the AAC,\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0provide the Stars with revenue because the team does not own the real estate. The Stars harbor ambitions larger than what the Texas Rangers created with their mixed-use district, Texas\u00a0Live!,\u00a0in Arlington. Restaurants,\u00a0apartments\u00a0and\u00a0a hotel\u00a0are on the Stars\u2019 wish list, along with a brick-and-mortar Stars\u2019 Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

In a November interview with\u00a0The News, Alberts painted a picture of the fan experience he envisioned in a new home.<\/p>\n

With a new arena, he said, you could see a lower venue ceiling, have more seats closer to the ice, enjoy more premium club experiences, benefit from more audio and entertainment bells and whistles, as well as high-quality food and beverage offerings both within and surrounding the arena \u2014 all coming together for an immersive environment that projects itself as the home of the Stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were to create our own immersed environment [in a new arena], you are really going to feel that this is the home of the Stars in a much-improved fashion than what you do now,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things \u2014 not just how can we generate more money \u2014 that would lead to people that love Stars hockey to go, \u2018Wow, this is incredible.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Stars\u2019\u00a0decision to find a new home comes as\u00a0their\u00a0legal wrangling\u00a0with the Mavericks\u00a0persists.<\/p>\n

In October, the Mavericks filed suit against the Stars in Texas Business Court, alleging the Stars violated their franchise agreement with the\u00a0city of Dallas that requires their primary headquarters\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0located\u00a0within city limits.<\/p>\n

The Mavericks sent the Stars a letter and $110 in cash in October 2024, alerting them of the breach and of their intention to take over the Stars\u2019 interest in Center Operating Company, the joint venture between the franchises that\u00a0operates\u00a0American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0shared-revenue pot includes revenue from third-party events as well as dollars from brands that sponsor both teams. When companies or individuals purchase suites for all American Airlines Center\u00a0events together \u2014\u00a0Mavericks\u2019\u00a0and\u00a0Stars\u2019\u00a0games and concerts \u2014 those dollars are filtered through Center Operating Company before being split 50-50 between the Mavericks and Stars, executives said.<\/p>\n

Ten\u00a0other NHL teams share arenas with NBA teams \u2014 Los Angeles, Denver, Detroit, Washington, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto,\u00a0Boston\u00a0and Utah \u2014 but most of those marriages are not\u00a0nearly as\u00a0financially\u00a0complicated\u00a0as the one\u00a0in Dallas.<\/p>\n

The Stars filed a counterclaim saying the Mavericks had no right to claim a breach of agreement \u2014 only the city could \u2014 and that they cannot claim the Stars\u2019 interest in Center Operating Company until a court finds the Stars breached certain obligations owed to the city.<\/p>\n

The NHL team later alleged the Mavericks\u00a0violated their own franchise agreement with the city\u00a0when they changed their principal location to Las Vegas in 2024 during Mark Cuban\u2019s sale of the team to Miriam Adelson and the Dumont family.<\/p>\n

Texas Business Court Judge Bill Whitehill did not side with the Stars on those issues and gave the Mavericks control of AAC as the appeal process plays out.<\/p>\n

The City of Dallas has also sided with the Mavericks, according to internal communication between the teams and the city obtained by\u00a0The News,\u00a0putting a further strain on the relationship with the Stars. Multiple city officials, however,\u00a0have\u00a0publicly\u00a0stated\u00a0a commitment to keeping both the Stars and Mavericks in Dallas.<\/p>\n

The Stars are the second major professional sports team the city has lost after the Cowboys moved from the Cotton Bowl to Texas Stadium in Irving in 1971 and even farther to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2009. The Texas Rangers have never played in Dallas,\u00a0residing\u00a0at three different ballparks\u00a0in Arlington\u00a0since 1972.<\/p>\n

The Mavericks also plan to leave AAC after 2031 and have narrowed their focus to\u00a0the\u00a0Valley View Center property, a sprawling 110-acre site at the corner of Preston Road and Interstate 635.<\/p>\n

Following the Mavericks’ move to Valley View and the\u00a0Stars’\u00a0to Plano, none of the four major professional sports teams would play their home games downtown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Council member Chad West, chairman of the city of Dallas’ ad hoc professional sports committee, noted that the Stars’ letter of intent with Plano is nonbinding.<\/p>\n

“The City of Dallas must prepare itself to work with the Dallas Stars in a way that makes staying in their namesake city a win for the franchise and its fans,” he said.<\/p>\n

Staff writers Lilly Kersh, Devyani Chhetri and Everton Bailey\u00a0contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The\u00a0Dallas Stars\u00a0have chosen Plano for their future home, a move that puts downtown Dallas on the verge of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":319871,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[114707,1115,160,162,161,104767,89489,88944],"class_list":["post-319870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plano","tag-brad-alberts","tag-dallas-stars","tag-plano","tag-plano-headlines","tag-plano-news","tag-sports-mavericks","tag-tp-american-airlines-center","tag-tp-plano"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}