<\/p>\n
(From left) Plano City Manager Mark Israelson, Mayor John Muns, Deputy City Manager Doug McDonald and Economic Development Director Michael Talley pose for a photo at the Plano Municipal Center in Plano, TX, Friday, June 12, 2026.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Seamless. Professional. Timely. Crystal clear. An \u201cearth-shatteringly good<\/a>\u201d relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s how Brad Alberts, president and CEO of the Dallas Stars, described working with Plano officials on planning a $3 billion arena and mixed-use district at the city\u2019s Shops at Willow Bend mall site<\/a>, what he called the \u201cbiggest project\u201d in the history of Collin County and the NHL franchise.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Plano leaders unanimously approved a complex slate<\/a> of agreements Monday, including a $700 million contribution of public funds, to score the city\u2019s first major league sports team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plano won out over several cities. Alberts likened the team\u2019s non-binding letter of intent with the city to a marriage proposal, with the wedding planned for the 2031-32 NHL season, when the arena is first planned to welcome fans.<\/p>\n Related: ‘The center of D-FW’: Why the Dallas Stars say they chose Plano for their new home<\/a><\/p>\n Plano Mayor John Muns, City Manager Mark Israelson, Deputy City Manager Doug McDonald and Economic Development Director Michael Talley told The Dallas Morning News their side of the love story. Here\u2019s how they pulled it off.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A sudden proposition\u00a0<\/p>\n For Plano\u2019s leadership, it all started in late 2024 when developer Bill Cawley \u201csuddenly\u201d approached officials for a meeting about an opportunity for Plano<\/a>, Israelson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cawley couldn\u2019t yet share what the project was, but said he was partnering with real estate investment firm Centennial. Plano was already \u201chighly engaged\u201d with Centennial on their plans to redevelop the struggling Willow Bend shopping mall<\/a> into a mixed-use development.<\/p>\n Plano officials took a meeting with\u00a0Cawley blind. Later, Alberts et al.<\/a> showed up at City Hall and they were asked about the potential for an arena.\u00a0<\/p>\n A rendering for the proposed new development for the planned Dallas Stars arena and entertainment complex.\u00a0<\/p>\n Courtesy of Centennial<\/p>\n \u201cCandidly, to that point, we had never considered that,\u201d Israelson said. \u201cIt was something that kind of came to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city officials said they\u2019d do their homework and began studying what a project like this would take.\u00a0<\/p>\n They started exploring land use, transportation and<\/a> financing considerations. They looked at similar projects across the region, in Arlington and Frisco. They brought on consultants, including Frank Jones from Greenberg Traurig, who has experience on arena and stadium deals, and economist Ray Perryman, founder and CEO of The Perryman Group.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what we didn\u2019t know yet,\u201d Israelson said.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a small group of experts on what it takes to bring a sports stadium to a city, Talley said, and Plano wanted to learn from them and \u201cknow as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The city is very familiar with economic development deals<\/a>, having brought dozens of companies to Plano over many decades. It\u2019s what Plano is known for. But this deal was \u201cfar more complex,\u201d and it took months for officials to put the pieces together and answer\u00a0\u2014 \u201cIs this even possible?\u201d Israelson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The closed Macy\u2019s department store is seen at The Shops at Willow Bend on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Plano.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Everybody involved was under a nondisclosure agreement, officials said.\u00a0Alberts praised the city\u2019s communication and \u201cunbelievably quick\u201d work, despite the circumstances.<\/p>\n \u201cWe never sat on it,\u201d Muns said. \u201cIt was constant effort to move things along.\u201d<\/p>\n The dating phase<\/p>\n The Stars spoke to at least eight other cities about relocating, including Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth. But The Shops at Willow Bend site emerged as the favorite.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Plano officials figured the team would \u201cbe shopping everywhere<\/a>,\u201d McDonald said, but city leaders focused on their own consideration of whether the arena was feasible at 6121 W. Park Blvd. and \u201cthe right fit for Plano.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n There were aspects of the Stars\u2019 search that Plano initially did not know about.<\/p>\n Traffic passes on West Park Boulevard near an entrance to the The Shops at Willow Bend on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Plano.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cWe had no idea the issues with the basketball team and the Stars,\u201d Muns said, referring to the legal battle between the Stars and Mavericks over control of American Airlines Center<\/a>. \u201cWe never knew.\u201d<\/p>\n It took time to build trust\u00a0\u2014 about a year and a half\u00a0\u2014 Muns said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an evolution of them going through some of the issues that they were going through with Dallas<\/a>, making sure that they felt like we were a trustworthy partner,\u201d Muns said. \u201cBut it needed to happen to make all the parties feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n In November, Plano and the Stars entered an exclusive negotiating period. The relationship became official, moving into a \u201cdating phase,\u201d McDonald said. No more seeing other people.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat also gave our council some comfort,\u201d McDonald said. \u201cThe resources we\u2019re spending are not just being thrown out there.\u201d<\/p>\n $700 million piece of the puck<\/p>\n The city is chipping in $700 million toward the project. The city will own the arena<\/a>, which itself is expected to cost $1 billion. A complex arrangement of developers will own the surrounding property, which is expected to cost another $2 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n The $700 million figure came from tapping consultants, analyzing other projects in cities like San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Arlington and discussing with the council, city leaders said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city couldn\u2019t afford to build a $1 billion arena on its own but felt that cost was \u201cabout the right sort of economic model,\u201d Israelson said, for a \u201cworld-class facility.\u201d<\/p>\n An artist rendering of the proposed new Dallas Stars Arena is presented during a meeting conducted for council members to vote on whether to approve key measures in the Dallas Stars\u2019 proposed new arena at the Shops at Willow Bend. The meeting was conducted at the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers, 1520 K Avenue in Plano, on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cIn Plano, we\u2019re the city of excellence, and we want a facility that\u2019s going to be excellent,\u201d he said. \u201cUltimately, we\u2019re going to own it.\u201d<\/p>\n But the city had its limits, the city manager said, which turned out to be about $700 million.<\/p>\n The city will pay through bonds backed by a 41-year tax increment reinvestment zone. But the team\u2019s initial lease is 30 years\u00a0\u2014 an intentional safeguard, Israelson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope we\u2019re their forever home<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cSports teams can and do move \u2026 we may need additional resources and tools to address what happens after 30 years \u2026 we\u2019re prepared and thinking about this.\u201d<\/p>\n Considering things like maintenance and potential redevelopment are \u201cmechanisms in place to protect the community\u2019s investment,\u201d Talley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plano City Manager Mark Israelson, right, shares information with Plano Mayor John Muns during a meeting for council members to vote on whether to approve key measures in the Dallas Stars\u2019 proposed new arena at the Shops at Willow Bend. The meeting was conducted at the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers, 1520 K Avenue in Plano, on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n The decision has not been popular among some neighboring residents who fear increased traffic, crime and development. Plano officials have met with neighbors near the mall site and scheduled community input meetings at Willow Bend in July.<\/p>\n Considering those local concerns, mitigating disruptions and gathering input is high on Plano\u2019s to-do list for the project, particularly surrounding transportation improvements to accommodate a sports stadium in an area with many affluent residential neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n A tale of two cities<\/p>\n Israelson said it\u2019s the \u201cstrong vision and leadership\u201d from the City Council that contribute to Plano\u2019s success<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 to the mayor\u2019s chagrin, he calls it \u201cMuns magic.\u201d<\/p>\n The staff works hard, with late calls and early mornings, the city manager said, to keep a competitive posture and business mindset. They prioritize building relationships, a professional reputation and incorporating relocating businesses into the community.<\/p>\n \u201cOn every deal, small, medium, or large \u2026 We want that company or that entity to know how important they are to Plano,\u201d Muns said. \u201cThat relationship part of it is really key.\u201d<\/p>\n Plano mayor John Muns answers a question from a media member during a press conference following a meeting for council members to vote on whether to approve key measures in the Dallas Stars\u2019 proposed new arena at the Shops at Willow Bend. The meeting was conducted at the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers, 1520 K Avenue in Plano, on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Plano\u2019s focus, the mayor said, is getting the basics right\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0safety, security, quality education and a qualified workforce\u00a0\u2014 that make an attractive community for businesses to consider in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alberts came knocking as the city was working to bring AT&T\u2019s headquarters to Plano, so officials were juggling two enormous projects at once. Both were\u00a0scooped from downtown Dallas<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the Stars\u2019 announcement, which followed the Mavericks also announcing a move to Valley View, Dallas leaders decried the blow<\/a> to the city\u2019s center, and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said \u201cknives are out<\/a>\u201d as competition in the suburbs grows.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t crying wolf. We are in a very serious competition,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cThe wolf is not in this room, the wolf is up the\u00a0tollway.\u201d<\/p>\n Plano officials said they are focused on their own projects, and hope to see neighboring cities thrive\u00a0\u2014 \u201cwe\u2019re going to run our own race,\u201d Israelson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plano Mayor John Muns poses for a photo at the Plano Municipal Center in Plano, TX, Friday, June 12, 2026.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Talley said he wants to see neighbors win and a successful region.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA rising tide lifts all boats,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople know Dallas before they know all the other communities in D-FW.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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