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Concerned citizens applaud comments from a resident shared during a meeting held for council members to vote on whether to approve key measures in the Dallas Stars\u2019 proposed new arena at the Shops at Willow Bend. The meeting was conducted at the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers, 1520 K Avenue in Plano, on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n
Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The Dallas Stars have chosen\u00a0Plano for a new arena and entertainment district at the site of The Shops at Willow Bend shopping mall, and residents have a mix of<\/a> concern, excitement and trepidation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what residents have to say as the suburb gets closer to welcoming its first major league sports team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Locals sound off\u00a0<\/p>\n At the council meeting where officials approved several measures in support of the hockey arena project, residents spoke out against it with concerns over traffic and crime. The area of West Plano<\/a> is home to affluent residential neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “For decades, West Plano has become one of the most desirable communities in North Texas because of its neighborhoods, schools, safety, accessibility and quality of life,” said resident Rene Elgersma to the council. “The neighborhoods surrounding Willow Bend were built around the expectation of a suburban residential environment \u2014 not a regional sports and entertainment district.”<\/p>\n The Crate & Barrel store with the closed Macy\u2019s department story are seen in an aerial view of The Shops at Willow Bend on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Plano.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n \u201cThese projects will bring economic vitality and great amenities to Plano<\/a>,\u201d said resident Joseph Landers to the council. \u201cWe ask that they be implemented thoughtfully with strong maintenance, code enforcement, security and safety measures to complement our established neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople closest to the arena, people like me and my neighbors, pay twice, once as taxpayers who are funding the deal, and again as homeowners absorbing the traffic, the noise, the congestion<\/a>, and the lagging property values,\u201d said Plano resident Jody Venturoni to the council. \u201cMy neighbors and I did not choose Plano to live next to a regional entertainment district.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe council puts off a \u2018I don\u2019t really care\u2019 attitude against the taxpayers,\u201d said resident Maurizio Militello. \u201cPlano is a great place for it \u2026 Unfortunately, there are probably a few too many neighborhoods that are directly around there that will be affected negatively.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaders chime in\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe \u2026 want to be a vibrant, relevant city in the future,\u201d Plano council member Rick Horne said on the dais. \u201cWe don’t want to be turned into one of the tired cities that you see surrounding us, including some of the larger cities.”<\/p>\n \u201cIf this project goes forward, I\u2019m confident that the city of Plano will work alongside DART to provide traffic management and public transportation solutions that will mitigate the traffic impact of this project for Plano residents,\u201d said Anthony Ricciardelli, Plano\u2019s representative on Dallas Area Rapid Transit\u2019s board of directors.<\/p>\n Plano Mayor John Muns listens intently to a speaker during an open forum session as Plano City Council held a meeting for council members to vote on whether to approve key measures in the Dallas Stars\u2019 proposed new arena at the Shops at Willow Bend. The meeting was conducted at the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers, 1520 K Avenue in Plano, on June 8, 2026.<\/p>\n Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cWillow Bend mall is the real bullseye for season ticket holders<\/a>,\u201d said Plano Mayor John Muns. \u201cIt will provide not only a great place to go watch our favorite team but it will also provide 365 days of opportunity for people to go enjoy dining and shopping and living all in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Cost concerns\u00a0<\/p>\n Plano is using a tax increment reinvestment zone to afford its $700 million contribution to the arena and district, in which tax revenue added from investments in new development and redevelopment in an area is poured back into the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe only reason the city wants to zone this is so it can build an arena for a corporation,\u201d resident Jennifer Groysman told the council. \u201cThis is nothing more than a corporate welfare scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf arenas were the economic engines they claim to be, cities would move heaven and earth to keep their teams, but they don’t,\u201d Venturoni said. \u201cPublicly funded arenas are great at generating excitement \u2026 and bad at generating the returns that they promise.\u201d<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Plano City Council approves $700M funding plan for Dallas Stars\u2019 Willow Bend arena district<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cBy requiring a large amount of the property tax base to only go to specific areas in the city for infrastructure, it reduces the financial flexibility the city has to deal with budget issues,\u201d said Sean McKenna to the council in opposition of the zone, which he said was \u201cexclusively for the benefit of a corporation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSports teams constantly move,\u201d said Gary Cary, who previously ran for City Council, to the officials. \u201cI have concerns in the future we’ll have a dead stadium instead of the vibrant retail area we’ve already approved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy concern would be that one day Plano finds itself without adequate revenues<\/a> for its general operations or having to significantly increase property taxes because of this,\u201d said resident Jim Dillavou. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of information that they need to provide the citizens of Plano.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans show excitement\u00a0<\/p>\n “It would be unbelievable for Plano,” said Plano resident Billy Embody earlier this year. “There’s a lot of people up here that would love to go to a Stars game if it were within 15 minutes.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A rendering for the proposed new development for the planned Dallas Stars arena and entertainment complex.\u00a0<\/p>\n Courtesy of Centennial<\/p>\n He said an arena at the site of the beleaguered shopping mall could be a “shot in the arm” for the city.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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