The Dallas Stars have already had initial talks with Arlington city leaders about moving to new ice in the entertainment district, according to city leaders.
Mayor Jim Ross and District 5 Council member Rebecca Boxall said it’s still far too early in the process to say whether the Stanley Cup-winning hockey team will call the city home, but they think it’d be a great addition.
“Anytime a team is looking to move or looking for a new area, I mean, this is what Arlington does,” Ross said in a phone call Tuesday. “We're the entertainment capital.”
The Dallas Stars have called the American Airlines Center home since 2001, sharing it with the Dallas Mavericks. But that lease is up in 2031, and the Stars have been shopping around for a new venue.
A spokesperson for the team did not immediately respond to a KERA News request for interview.
Boxall said the Stars make sense as another staple in the Arlington Entertainment District – already a sports Mecca with the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, the Esports Stadium Arlington and other teams that play at Choctaw Stadium. Outside the entertainment district, the city is also home to the Dallas Wings, the WNBA team that plays at College Park Center.
One option the city and Stars may consider is to renovate Choctaw Stadium, or some part of it, to house the Stars, Boxall said. That could be a way for the team to save time and money on construction.
“The obvious benefits for that, for the team, would be location,” Boxall said. “There's a facility that doesn't have to be built, you know, ground up, could be renovated.”
There could be benefits to being neighbors with the Cowboys and Rangers, too, Boxall said.
Both Boxall and Ross emphasized that any talks with the Stars are still in the preliminary phases and the Stars are considering other cities.
Front Office Sports reported Oct. 3 that the team is also considering Plano as a potential new home. The Dallas Morning News reported Plano, Frisco, The Colony and Fort Worth are other potential cities.
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