Dallas Cowboys Move Headquarters to Frisco after $115 Million Development Approval
The Cowboys are moving in to Frisco after a four-decade long stay in Irving. "We have the number one sports franchise in the world...locating to Frisco, Texas," announces Mayor Maher Maso Tuesday in a report by CBS. Also present during the announcement were Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner and son Stephen Jones, Executive Vice President of the football team.
The move was decided after the approval of a $115 million development deal between the football team and the city late Monday. The deal involves the construction of a complex that will include an indoor stadium with a 12,000 seating capacity. There will also be two outdoor training fields and a 5-acre world headquarters for the Cowboys, says the UPI. The whole development project will sit on a 91-acre piece of land, says ESPN. 25 acres will be devoted to the stadium and the Cowboys' headquarters. The remaining 66 acres will be used for stores, restaurants and a luxury hotel.
The deal between the Cowboys and Frisco will last for 25 years. Dallas Cowboys will be required to hold training camps in the facility for at least a week every year as part of the deal. The football team is also tasked to manage the facilities, deal with necessary upgrades and pay for operating costs. The operating costs are estimated to amount to $1.5 million annually. The Cowboys reportedly agreed to pay construction costs exceeding the $115 million budget.
"Whatever we do, we do want it to be successful. We have always over-performed when it comes to spending money. I had to agree with Arlington that I would spend at least $325 million, which is what they put up to build the stadium. So rather than 325 additional I think I spent another $900 million to do it right. So we are going to do it right," says Jones in a report by CBS.
The $115 million funding will mainly come from city sales tax but the school district is also contributing $30 million for the construction. According to ESPN, plans to construct a football stadium were already in the works even before the deal, said school district officials. "We could in no way duplicate a stadium of this caliber on our own, spending the same amount for construction," Frisco ISD's superintendent Jeremy Lyon said. District high schools will be allowed to use the stadium for football games.