DSJ Quick Take: Stars Name HNTB Lead Design Firm for Plano Arena
The Dallas Stars announced Monday that HNTB will serve as lead design firm for their proposed arena at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano. The hire follows the Plano City Council’s unanimous June 8 vote approving a letter of intent and a $700 million public funding framework.
- What did the Stars announce? HNTB has been selected as lead design firm for the proposed Plano arena, with the team citing the firm’s integrated approach to architecture, planning, and district design.
- What has HNTB built before? The firm led the design team for Empower Field at Mile High, serves as architect of record on the Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark alongside Bjarke Ingels Group, and is lead sports design architect on Nebraska’s $600 million Memorial Stadium project.
- What has Plano already approved? Four measures passed unanimously on June 8: a non-binding letter of intent, an incentive agreement with Levin Holdings and Cawley Partners, a tax increment reinvestment zone, and a venue project resolution.
- What’s next? The Texas Comptroller must approve the venue project resolution before Plano can call a special venue tax election, tentatively set for November 3.
PLANO, Texas — HNTB will serve as lead design firm on the Dallas Stars proposed arena at The Shops at Willow Bend. The team announced the selection Monday. Dallas pointed to the firm’s “integrated approach to architecture, planning and district design” in a news release.
Plano City Council approved four measures unanimously on June 8. One was a non-binding letter of intent with the Stars. Another was an incentive agreement with developers Levin Holdings and Cawley Partners. The council also established a tax increment reinvestment zone covering the mall property and surrounding non-residential parcels along the Dallas North Tollway. The fourth measure, a venue project resolution, is required under state law before the city can call a special election.
Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said the selection begins the process for the franchise’s new home in Plano.
“We are thrilled to officially announce the selection of HNTB,” Gaglardi said. “The wealth of experience and knowledge that their team brings to the table will allow us to create the best arena in the NHL. Many of the premier facilities in professional and collegiate sports were designed by HNTB, and we are excited to begin the process for our new home in Plano.”
Plano committed up to $700 million toward public infrastructure costs tied to the project. The TIRZ would generate that money over 41 years. Reports have put the arena itself at roughly $1 billion. The broader redevelopment has been valued at approximately $3 billion. Under the framework approved in June, the city would own the arena, and the Stars would sign a 30-year lease. Plano separately approved up to $15 million in incentives. Of that, $10 million offsets demolition costs for portions of the mall. The remaining $5 million funds a visitor center.
HNTB’s Sports Architecture Portfolio
HNTB was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The employee-owned firm’s architecture division generated $693 million in revenue in 2022.
In Denver, HNTB led the design team for Empower Field at Mile High. The Denver Broncos stadium opened in August 2001 and seats 76,125. The Broncos announced a capital improvement project exceeding $100 million in December 2022. HNTB handled that work, which covered video boards, premium hospitality areas, concessions, the team store, and ticketing.
The firm is also working on the Athletics ballpark in Las Vegas alongside Bjarke Ingels Group. BIG serves as design lead on the 33,000-seat venue. HNTB is the sports and hospitality designer and architect of record. Construction is underway on the Tropicana site. The ballpark is scheduled to open ahead of the 2028 season.
HNTB is the lead sports design architect on the University of Nebraska’s $600 million Memorial Stadium project, which the Board of Regents approved unanimously. The firm also designed the reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium at the center of the University of Kansas Gateway District.
Ryan Gedney, HNTB’s chief design officer, said integrating the arena with a year-round district is an opportunity to set a new benchmark for how sports, entertainment, and community come together.
“The most memorable arenas become part of the identity of a city and its people,” Gedney said. “Our goal is to create a home that is unmistakably rooted in the identity of the Dallas Stars, one that captures the passion and intensity of hockey while reflecting the unique character and culture of North Texas. Great arenas create unforgettable moments, but the very best become places that communities embrace every day of the year. By seamlessly integrating the arena with an active, year-round district, we have an opportunity to establish a new benchmark for how sports, entertainment and community come together to create lasting value for fans, the franchise and the region.”
What Comes Next For The Willow Bend Project
Public renderings of the proposed arena and district were released in June alongside the council vote. The venue project resolution must be submitted to and approved by the Texas Comptroller before Plano can proceed. The City Council would then consider an ordinance formally calling a venue tax election. That election is tentatively scheduled for November 3.
Voters would be asked to authorize a short-term motor vehicle rental tax, a hotel occupancy tax, an event parking tax, an event admissions tax, and a venue use tax on major league team members who play a professional game in the arena. Proceeds would go toward planning, acquisition, construction, and related infrastructure.
Plano held in-person community open houses inside The Shops at Willow Bend on July 8 and July 14. A self-guided virtual open house ran from July 8 through July 22. Traffic modeling and mobility analysis will follow, according to the city. Those studies will assess impacts on surrounding roadways, intersections, parking, and pedestrian access. A dozen residents spoke on the arena items during public comment June 8, and traffic came up more than any other subject.
The Stars’ lease at American Airlines Center runs through 2031. After the June vote, Gaglardi said the team looked forward to making Plano its new home in 2031. The Dallas Mavericks share American Airlines Center with the Stars. In June, the Mavericks signed option agreements for the potential purchase of roughly 104 acres at the former Valley View Mall site in Far North Dallas. Both leases expire the same year.
Dallas has played at American Airlines Center since 2001. The franchise spent its first eight seasons in North Texas at Reunion Arena after relocating from Minnesota in 1993.
