Dallas Stars Offer Look at New $1B Arena Project as Plano City Council Approves $700M Funding » Dallas Innovates

The TIRZ will encompass a new mixed-use sports and entertainment district at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano featuring the Stars arena, other sports and entertainment venues, retail, restaurants, residential development, public spaces, and related infrastructure improvements designed to create “a destination where residents can gather, connect, and enjoy new community amenities close to home.”

Mayor John Muns said Plano “has built a reputation as a city that welcomes world-class partners and community-focused investment.”

“These actions are a significant first step as we evaluate the potential for a thoughtfully designed sports and entertainment district that reflects the priorities and values of our community,” Muns added in a statement.

Outreach to Plano residents

The sports and entertainment district will be developed in partnership with Levin Holdings, Cawley Partners, and Centennial, the city of Plano said. 

The city of Plano said community open houses will be held over the summer as an outreach to residents about the project. A special information page will be created on the city’s website that will be continually updated as the project progresses, the city added.

Steven Levin of Levin Holdings said The Shops at Willow Bend site “has long been in our sights as an ideal location for creating a vibrant destination that blends sports and entertainment, retail, dining, office space and housing.”

“It’s an opportunity to reimagine this property as a place where the community can come together and where Plano can continue to grow and thrive,” Levin added.

The city said it will conduct a traffic modeling and mobility analysis to see how the Dallas Stars entertainment district could affect surrounding roadways, intersections, parking, pedestrian access, and overall traffic flow in the area.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks continue their own bid to dribble away from the American Airlines Center, after announcing plans to build an arena and entertainment district in the former Valley View site in Dallas north of LBJ Freeway.