A Dr Pepper StarCenter is coming to Mansfield, as the town’s city council has approved an agreement with the Dallas Stars.
The Stars and Mansfield have been in talks for some time, as Dallas Stars Enterprises had expressed interest in constructing a Dr Pepper StarCenter in the city. Designed to host community events, tournaments, and Stars’ practices, Dr Pepper StarCenters are located in several other cities, including Euless, Farmers Ranch, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Richardson, and Valley Ranch.
Initially, it looked that the Dr Pepper StarCenter proposal in Masnfield would never come to fruition. Mansfield had issues covering its share, and there were some disagreements earlier this year about how much the Stars should pay in rent. At one point these problems looked to be a significant setback for the project, but the city eventually reached a lease with the Stars–which calls for the team to pay $18 million over 30 years–and a land swap agreement that made officials feel more comfortable about the proposal. More from the Dallas Morning News:
But Monday, the council approved a land swap that would put the StarCenter within the Shops at Broad mixed-use center instead of along a frontage road. As part of the swap, developer Geyer Morris will pay the city $2 million, enough to cover the city’s problematic shortfall, the News-Mirror reported.
Some residents complained Monday night about the hundreds of apartments approved as part of the Shops at Broad project, and another resident said taxpayers will pay for something that will benefit only a minority of Mansfield residents, the News-Mirror reported.
The city had previously expected to receive a contribution from Baylor Orthopedic and Spine Hospital at Arlington, only for that donation to fall through. With a total cost of $15.1 million, the Dr Pepper StarCenter will open in September 2017.
