A day after the Dallas Mavericks announced plans for a new arena, the city’s NHL team followed suit.
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The Dallas Stars signed a letter of intent to build a more than $1B mixed-use district to be anchored by a new arena at The Shops at Willow Bend mall in Plano. The nonbinding agreement calls for a sports and entertainment district featuring retail, restaurants and public gathering spaces.
“This project would present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our franchise,” Stars owner and Chairman Tom Gaglardi said in a statement. “We 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.”
The Plano City Council is slated to consider the letter of intent during its next meeting on Monday.
The owners of The Shops at Willow Bend said in March that they expected to start demolition on a significant portion of the 1.4M SF mall along the Dallas North Tollway within 12 months, with or without the Stars. Cawley Partners CEO Bill Cawley and Centennial CEO Steven Levin have been working for years to turn the mostly vacant mall into a mixed-use development featuring residential units, a hotel, an office building, retail and restaurant space.
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Cawley Partners and Centennial didn’t immediately respond to Bisnow’s request for comment on whether those plans will continue or need to be reconfigured for the Stars' arena.
The Stars' press release about the project says the proposed district will be a year-round destination for the community and will strengthen the team’s “connection to its North Texas fan base.”
“Plano has built a reputation as a city that welcomes world-class partners and community-focused investment,” Plano Mayor John Muns said in a statement. “The Dallas Stars are an iconic North Texas organization, and we are encouraged by their interest as conversations move forward.”
In addition to home games, the arena will be used for team practices, camps and other professional hockey activities, according to the letter submitted to the council. The arena will also be able to be reconfigured for uses such as entertainment, cultural and civic events, as well as different indoor sports.
Plano has emerged as a North Texas hot spot for corporate relocations this year. News broke Tuesday that Samsung Electronics America plans to move its U.S. headquarters to the city by the end of the year. And AT&T announced in January that it intends to relocate its global headquarters from Downtown Dallas to Plano beginning in 2028.
The Stars’ news came just after the Mavs announced plans to purchase 104 acres of the former Valley View Center mall site along Interstate 635 for its own mixed-use district anchored by a new arena. The Mavs’ mixed-use project is expected to feature restaurants, entertainment options, public green spaces and family-friendly activities.
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