Sports
Dallas Councilmember Says City Still in the Game for Stars After Plano Arena Vote Fails
Dallas City Councilmember Maxie Johnson says the city is working hard to keep the Dallas Stars downtown after Plano voters rejected a public financing measure for a new arena. Plano's mayor acknowledges the vote hurt the project's finances, while the team says it remains committed to the Plano plan.
Dallas City Councilmember Maxie Johnson said Friday that the city still has time to persuade the Dallas Stars to remain in Dallas after the team's lease at the American Airlines Center expires in 2031, and that the rejection of a Plano arena financing measure this month has opened a window for the city to make its case.
Johnson chairs the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention. He praised City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert for keeping negotiations close to the vest and said the city is actively working to show the team it is wanted.
"I know that we're working very hard to make sure that the Dallas Stars know that we want them, and that we love them and we're going to make sure we keep them here," Johnson said.
The comments came a day after Plano Mayor John Muns acknowledged disappointment with the election results at a groundbreaking for the new AT&T headquarters. Plano voters rejected Proposition A on Nov. 3, declining to approve public financing for a proposed Stars arena and leaving the project's future uncertain.
"Obviously the venue tax failure affected the financial issues," Muns said. He added that the city is "working really diligently to come up with some solutions that may work" and that officials will see what the Stars and the developer think.
The Stars say they remain committed to the Plano project and are looking to the Texas Legislature for a possible path forward through a project finance zone. Asked whether staying at the American Airlines Center beyond the current lease was still on the table, a team representative referred back to a statement issued the day after the vote.
"We remain committed to advancing this important project that will create jobs, attract new visitors, and generate economic benefits for the Plano community for decades to come," the statement read in part.
Muns was less certain when asked whether he was confident the team would ultimately land in Plano. "I don't know," he told reporters.
Johnson said the Plano vote sent a clear message. "By them saying no, that spoke volumes," he said. "I can tell you right now the citizens of Dallas, we'll say yes."
The stakes are significant for both cities. A new arena would bring construction jobs, tax revenue and visitors, while losing the NHL franchise would deprive Dallas of a major downtown anchor and the economic activity that comes with it. For Plano, the failed measure leaves a proposed development without its financing mechanism and raises questions about how the project can proceed.
With the lease running until 2031, Dallas officials appear to be betting that the Plano setback gives them room to negotiate. Whether the team shares that view remains unclear.