Deal will bring 91 acres of development

The multi-use special events and sports facility, along with the Cowboys world corporate headquarters, will be built on the northwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Warren Parkway. The complex will be home to the team's entire football operation, including administrative offices, coaches' offices and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

"A powerhouse brand like the Dallas Cowboys will attract other quality and specialty brands, creating a unique destination with approximately 2 million feet of commercial space," said Jim Gandy, president of the Frisco Economic Development Corp. "This public-private partnership establishing the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco is as good as it gets. It's like winning the economic development 'super bowl.'"

The Cowboys will lease the stadium from the city of Frisco at a cost of at least $100,000 annually for use as a practice facility and have agreed to pay all maintenance and operations costs. The team will employ at least 150 full-time employees at the Frisco complex.

Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones said there is not yet an exact timeline for construction for the complex, but plans are to break ground within a year and have "footballs flying" by fall 2016.

FISD and the city of Frisco will pay a fixed operation cost to the Cowboys for use of the facility, which includes a 12,000-seat indoor football field and stadium and two outdoor fields.

The fixed fee in the agreement is $2,200 per day for an event with less than 1,500 people in attendance, and $4,500 per day for an event with attendance of more than 1,500.

Frisco ISD, however, will receive an annual credit in the amount of half of the annual base rent the Cowboys will pay to the city. The Cowboys will pay the city a minimum annual base rent of $100,000, so Frisco ISD would receive at least a $50,000 credit toward its event fees.

The city and Frisco ISD will be responsible for funding their own event police, EMS, ticket takers and parking attendants.

"This public-private partnership better meets the needs of all of our programs with an ultimate savings to the taxpayers," Frisco ISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon said.

Frisco ISD students benefit

Lyon said the opportunity to partner with the city and Cowboys will fill the district's need for a third stadium. The district has six high schools, with two more expected to be open by 2015.

The $30 million investment (about $1.2 million annually for 25 years) is about the same amount the district would need to spend for its own stadium. The Cowboys facility, Lyon said, will be much nicer than what the district could afford on its own.

"We have the opportunity for an indoor, state-of-the-art stadium, constructed and run by a group of people who know how to do stadiums on a level never seen before," Lyon said.

The partnership allows FISD to use the facility without paying an estimate of at least $250,000 per year in maintenance costs.

The facility will be operated by the Cowboys, but ultimate ownership belongs to the city of Frisco—an arrangement Lyon said the district feels comfortable with.

The district will use the stadium for football and soccer games, marching band competitions, graduations and other special district events.

Lyon said stadium scheduling is the most important component in the agreement. The order of priority use is the Dallas Cowboys, Frisco ISD, the city of Frisco, then outside events.

FISD has exclusive rights to the stadium Thursdays and Fridays for high school football games and an understanding that other dates may be necessary during football season. It also has rights to the stadium for other specified events, including graduation ceremonies.

Frisco ISD will receive ticket proceeds from its own events.

Partnership to fund project

The city of Frisco, Frisco Community Development Corp., Frisco Economic Development Corp. and Frisco ISD are partnering to fund the $115 million complex.

City and school officials said the funding will not raise tax rates.

Funding includes:

$30 million from the city of Frisco's tax increment funding zone for the stadium and parking

$30 million from Frisco ISD's tax increment funding zone for the stadium and parking

$25 million from Frisco Community Development Corp. sales tax money for the stadium and parking

$5 million from Frisco Economic Development Corp. sales tax money for infrastructure

An additional $25 million from Frisco EDC sales tax money for the Cowboys' world corporate headquarters. The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to fund any part of the project that exceeds the $115 million public investment.

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team will do whatever it takes to be successful and "have always over-performed when it comes to spending money."

"One of the neatest things that [the city of Frisco] leadership got for you is that anything over and above what we believe are the costs, then the Cowboys will pay that," Jones said. "We are going to do that as resourcefully as we can, but we are going to do it right, make no mistake about it. It is just not worth it to us to have somebody look at anything associated with the Dallas Cowboys and not say 'That's the cat's meow, that's done right.'"

Tax revenue projected: $1.26B

In a study commissioned by the city from Insight Research Corporation in Allen, the tax revenue impact in the 30-year period is projected to be $1.26 billion, including $187 million for the city of Frisco and nearly $295 million for Frisco ISD.

By the time development is complete in 2026, 4,500 new jobs are expected to have been added to the Frisco economy.

"The Dallas Cowboys' world corporate headquarters and sports complex will be a tremendous asset to Frisco's future and to all of North Texas," said Jeff Snowden, chairman of the Frisco CDC. "The FEDC board was unanimous in its approval of this unique mixed-use development that is expected to generate an economic ripple effect of more than $23 billion in new money in the regional economy over a 30-year period."

Blue Star will privately own the corporate headquarters of the Cowboys and the five acres it sits on. The property will be taxable and tax revenues will go to the tax increment funding zone to pay off the debt.

The Cowboys will share revenue from facility sponsor naming rights with the city, which will receive 3 percent of the naming revenues up to $500,000 per year.

The Cowboys will also split parking fee revenues with Frisco.

Retail, restaurants in deal

The 66-acre tract earmarked for mixed-use development is expected to be sold by the Frisco Community Development Corp. to developer Blue Star Frisco.

Assistant City Manager Ron Patterson said the city will see increases in the property tax base and tourism.

"Overall, it's a very good project," Patterson said. "We are very excited to be partnering with the Cowboys, and yes that's important, but at the end of the day ... the fact that they are phenomenal developers and bringing that to the table, we will see that we get unbelievable development and mixed-use development surrounding what will be a premiere sports facility."

The tentative development concept includes more than 1.24 million square feet of office space, 418,000 square feet of retail space and 50,500 square feet of restaurant space.

Two hotels with a total of 480 rooms are planned.

"We're committed to creating unique destinations that bring families together, promote business and tourism, attract major events, and improve our overall quality of life while keeping our property taxes low," Maso said. "We welcome 'America's Team' to one of the fastest growing cities in the country."

According to the study, private companies have already expressed considerable interest in office space. Office space revenue is expected to far exceed that of retail, restaurant or hospitality components. The economic impact of office space by 2042 is expected to be $19 billion, or 81 percent of the total economic impact of the development.

No timeline is set for the mixed-use development.

Marla Roe, executive director for the Frisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, said this is an exciting time for Frisco.

"The new, mixed-use entertainment complex, branded with an internationally recognized icon like the Dallas Cowboys, will bring a whole new dimension of visitation to Frisco," she said.