The Dallas Stars might be headed for the suburbs when their lease at American Airlines Center ends in 2031.
The NHL franchise is exploring sites for a new arena and has held talks with the cities of Plano, Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth, team president and CEO Brad Alberts told The Dallas Morning News on Friday.
Alberts denied a report from Front Office Sports that Plano emerged as the front-runner after the Stars’ 21-person ownership advisory group met on Wednesday.
“We do not have a deal with Plano,” Alberts told the Morning News. “We don’t have any of that. We are in discussions with them. We’re also in discussions with other cities. Arlington would love us to come to Arlington. They’ve got two of the four already. We’ve got a really good relationship with those two franchises there and the city.
“There’s no favorites at this point. We’re all just doing our work.”
A team spokesperson told The Athletic in a statement that the Stars are “continually evaluating all options for the home of our franchise in North Texas.”
The Stars’ site study comes as their co-tenant at American Airlines Center, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, are looking into building an arena and casino complex. The Mavericks also are tied to American Airlines Center through 2031.
A minimum of 75 acres will be needed for the Stars to build their desired complex, according to Alberts.
“Sports entertainment is becoming a real estate business,” Alberts told the newspaper. “In our market, where you’ve got a real opportunity to take advantage of that, I think it’s important. Creating 365-day revenue, I feel, is essential to the health of sports and entertainment businesses, especially NHL businesses that depend on local revenue far more than others.
“I think the biggest problem that we have with staying in Dallas is that we don’t have that. We don’t control any of the real estate outside of the building. We’re looking for that opportunity that can create 365 day-a-year revenue outside and also having an incredible in-venue, in-arena experience.”
Dallas city spokesperson Rick Ericson told the Morning News regarding the Stars’ possible future departure, “We have not heard that information from the Stars and can’t comment or speculate on the report. The Dallas Stars have been an important part of the city since they moved here in 1993 and we want them to remain in Dallas.”
The Stars currently have their offices and practice rink in Frisco, which is also the home of FC Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers play in Arlington.
Arlington city spokesperson Susan Schrock issued a statement that read, in part, “The Dallas Stars would be a natural addition to Arlington’s world-class Entertainment District and it makes sense that Arlington would be among cities they are considering for their new home.
“As the premiere sports and entertainment destinations in Texas, we are proud of our reputation of creating a safe and welcoming experience for fans as a city that attracts more than 16 million visitors a year. We look forward to talking further with the team as they consider their next chapter.”
