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Stars Owner Unveils $1B Plano Arena Plan for 2031 Debut

6/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi announced on June 2, 2026 a non-binding LOI for an arena in Plano.
The arena would be at The Shops at Willow Bend, a 107-acre site north of downtown Dallas.
Development cost is $1 billion, with up to $700 million possible from city Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone funds.
Construction to begin in 2028 or 2029 to be ready for the 2031-32 season when Stars’ lease at the American Airlines Center expires.

History

Historical Context

When Dallas built the American Airlines Center, the city approved hotel and rental-car taxes in the late 1990s and the Stars and Mavericks covered overruns, opening the $420 million arena in July 2001. In 2026 Tom Gaglardi’s $1 billion LOI for a Plano venue copies that tax-increment model, which the Dallas City Council endorsed in 2022, echoing the earlier financing pattern.

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Story summary

Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi announced on June 2, 2026 a non-binding LOI for an arena in Plano.
The arena would be at The Shops at Willow Bend, a 107-acre site north of downtown Dallas.
Development cost is $1 billion, with up to $700 million possible from city Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone funds.
Construction to begin in 2028 or 2029 to be ready for the 2031-32 season when Stars’ lease at the American Airlines Center expires.

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