The sport of stadiums

Professional sports teams have always carried with them the hearts of many Texas fans, but now these teams may also be carrying part of local economies. Cities are building arenas and surrounding them with new commercial development in order to take advantage of the buying power represented by the fans.

More than a dozen Texas metropolitan areas play host to almost 50 professional sports teams, and fans flock to contests of all kinds. Even the Austin Ice Bats of the Western Professional Hockey League drew more than 150,000 fans over 35 home dates last year.

This summer, Dallas will christen the American Airlines Center, a new arena for the Mavericks of the NBA and the Stars of the NHL. The center is part of a new development in the historic West End called Victory, which incorporates the new arena and 65 acres of residential and commercial space.

In an effort to revitalize downtown El Paso, Mayor Carlos Ramirez has proposed a $144 million sports and entertainment complex that includes an arena for the El Paso Buzzards hockey team. Corpus Christi officials are considering a similar arena for their hockey team, the IceRays.

Since its first pitch in March 2000, the Houston Astros’ new Enron Field (shown at right) has spurred several residential developments, including lofts and luxury towers, as well as high-end retail space. The city also has high hopes for the land surrounding Reliant Stadium, the future home of the expansion Houston Texans of the NFL. In addition to the football stadium, which will open its doors in 2002, plans for the complex include an entertainment and convention center.

While there is no guarantee that new sports arenas are fiscally sound investments in a city’s future, plenty of Texas cities are willing to take the risk. According to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M, besides the above cities, Austin, Midland, San Angelo, and San Antonio all have new or proposed sports arenas.

Illustration courtesy of the Houston Astros.

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