Plano scores big with Dallas Stars arena plan

The Dallas Stars hockey team is switching up their game plan by eyeing a new home in Plano, Texas. Instead of staying downtown, the team wants to build a massive entertainment hub near The Shops at Willow Bend, a spot already popular for shopping and dining. The project could cost around $1 billion and might include everything from sports games to restaurants, all wrapped around a shiny new arena. But before pucks start flying there, the city has to give the thumbs up. A big vote is coming up June 8, where locals can chime in on the idea. Plano isn’t new to big investments. The city’s been rolling out the welcome mat for major projects, and this one fits right in. Behind the scenes, a real estate company owns The Shops at Willow Bend, and they’re already nodding along with the Stars’ plans. The whole thing started with a formal proposal back in February, when Plano officially offered the team a 75-acre slice of land. That’s about 57 football fields of space—plenty of room for dreams and crowds.This move isn’t happening in a vacuum. Just a few days before the Stars’ announcement, the Dallas Mavericks basketball team made their own splash by eyeing a spot way out in Far North Dallas. Both teams are packing up from their old downtown arena, the American Airlines Center, and heading for greener (and less crowded) pastures. Their leases don’t run out until 2031, but they’re clearly eager to break free and write their own game plans. Behind the scenes, things have gotten messy. The Mavericks and Stars have been in court, trading lawsuits like hockey players trade punches. The Mavericks say the Stars broke the rules by moving their headquarters to Frisco, while the Stars call it all a power grab. Courts gave the Mavericks a temporary win last month, but the Stars aren’t going down without a fight. Now, with both teams planning to leave, it’s anyone’s guess how this legal game will end.