The Dallas Stars and City of Farmers affiliate are building an 81,780-square-foot multi-sport youth facility scheduled to open next December. The venue, dubbed the StarCenter Multisport Farmers Brunch, will cost more than $20 million to build, according to StarCenter President and CEO Brad Alberts. . The city estimates it receives 900,000 visitors each year.
“We are very bullish on the growth of youth sports in Dallas and the need for a facility like this, and this facility will be the best in Farmers Branch,” Alberts said. “We expect to see a quick return on our investment and expect this building to fill quickly and become very busy.”
StarCenter Multisport Farmers Branch is located next to the Stars youth hockey facility, Children's Health StarCenter Farmers Branch, at the intersection of Interstate 35-E and Interstate 635. The city plans to use previously approved and issued bonds to build the complex.
The Stars have a 25-year lease on the facility, which can accommodate up to eight basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts, as well as a pickleball court. This is his second multi-sport facility on the team, along with his eight Star Center Ice Rinks with 20 sheets of ice located throughout North Texas.
Across the Stars ice rink portfolio, the organization totals more than 8.5 million annual visitors. In total, the Stars support more than 80,000 youth athletes annually and own more ice than any other club in the NHL.
In November 2022, the organization acquired The MAC, a 38,000-square-foot multi-sport youth facility in Louisville with an expected annual attendance of approximately 75,000 participants. Additionally, Alberts is in talks with the City of Northlake to add to its portfolio of youth sports facilities with another ground-up construction.
He envisions the Northlake facility boasting a similar configuration to the Farmers Branch venue, with 16 volleyball courts or eight basketball courts with a pickleball court, but with two ice rinks. They are also planning to build one.
“The city of Northlake has a lot of work going on near the racetrack, and this facility will be part of a larger development plan for the area,” Alberts said.
In 2022, the Stars acquired Texas Advantage Volleyball, DFW's largest youth volleyball organization, and the 14-team Attack Volleyball Club. The two clubs will merge under the name Texas Advantage Volleyball and will play games at the new Farmers Branch facility once it is constructed.
Construction of the Farmers Branch project will be led by Lee Lewis Construction.
The Stars are also looking to add to their portfolio of youth sports facilities outside of the North Texas area. “Our group, led by Damon Boettcher, has had numerous discussions throughout Texas about facilities like this,” Alberts said. “I am a strong believer in the importance and recognition of the need to scale properly. We are a company that is uniquely positioned to operate these facilities not just in DFW but across the state. I feel that it is.”
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Ben Swanger is the Editor-in-Chief D CEObusiness title D Magazine. Ben manages the dallas 500, monthly…
