The Dallas Wings will now have to build their own $81 million practice facility, after the city’s original promise to construct it fell a year behind schedule and more than $27 million over budget.
The Dallas City Council voted 13-2 on Wednesday to approve a revised deal to contribute no more than $57 million for the WNBA team’s new training facility at 1200 N. Cockrell Hill Road. The Wings will take over construction and cover the rest of the project’s costs and any additional expenses.
“It’s important that we get this done today and we get this project back on track,” said Council Member Chad West, who represents the area where the training center will be based.
After the vote, Wings CEO and managing partner Greg Bibb said the Wings have already started some prep work for the practice facility, including engaging a construction manager and bringing in subcontractors. The goal would be to have real construction underway by the end of April, he said.
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Bibb said he believed the facility will meet the needs of the Wings’ players as well as benefit the community.
“The cost of these types of facilities today are what they are,” Bibb said, “and we are certainly not going to shortcut the construction and underdeliver for our athletes.”
Bibb reaffirmed the team’s commitment to Dallas and said he believed the practice facility would increase the Wings’ competitiveness in the WNBA.
“Despite the delays and the ups and the downs, we remain as committed as ever to our long-term partnership with the City of Dallas,” Bibb told The Dallas Morning News.
“An obscene amount of money”
The Wings committed to relocating from Arlington to Dallas in 2024, with the city promising a renovated Dallas Memorial Auditorium ready by the start of the 2026 WNBA season. The city last year also committed to building a new $54 million practice facility for the team by this spring.
Originally, the city was supposed to manage and fund both the renovation of the Dallas Memorial Auditorium for the Wings’ new home arena and the construction of the team’s new practice facility at Joey Georgusis Park in Oak Cliff. But the practice facility’s budget has ballooned to $81 million, and its completion date has slipped from spring 2026 to April 2027.
Renderings of the proposed Dallas Wings practice facility were on view during a June 11, 2025, news conference at Dallas City Hall after the City Council approved the location of the WNBA team’s facility and offices in Far West Oak Cliff.
Myah Taylor / Staff
Under the new deal, the city will contribute up to $57 million — $54 million in economic development grants and $3.2 million in developer fees. A previous proposal included $653,000 in delay reimbursements, with the Wings agreeing not to sue the city over the setbacks. The council revised the deal Wednesday to remove all references to a delay reimbursement.
In exchange, the team will act as the developer, covering the construction budget overrun and any further costs to complete the 70,000-square-foot facility at Joey Georgusis Park. The Wings must meet benchmarks, including submitting permit requests to the city by Aug. 15 and providing quarterly progress reports. If the Wings fail to complete the project, they must repay any incentives received and forfeit any remaining funds.
The city is also decreasing its contract with McKissack and McKissack, the project management firm, by $1.8 million, since the practice facility is no longer part of their responsibilities. The firm will continue overseeing the Dallas Memorial Auditorium project, now delayed until April 2028.
The practice facility is planned to include at least two basketball courts, a weight room, locker rooms, a kitchen, restrooms and a community space. The city is also planning to add soccer fields and trails near the training center.
Council members Cara Mendelsohn and Paul Ridley voted against the deal, citing concerns with the agreement.
“I think this is an obscene amount of money,” said Mendelsohn, who represents Far North Dallas. “At a time when we’re talking about things like closing libraries, I think it’s pretty shocking that we would move forward with this kind of a number, and I will not be in support.”
Staff writer Myah Taylor contributed to this report.
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