Monday, June 11, 2001

Jones wants to complete 100,000-seat Cowboys stadium within 3-5 years

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are looking for a new home and owner Jerry Jones wants that search to be on a fast track.

Although officials in the Dallas suburb of Irving say they want to retain the Cowboys' current home at Texas Stadium, Jones has widened the search to include other parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His goal is a completion of a 100,000-seat stadium, costing up to $500 million, within three to five years of hiring an architectural firm.

Other economically viable locations for the stadium are Arlington, Dallas, Grand Prairie and an undisclosed Denton County jurisdiction. Jones said multiple locations within each area would suit the club's needs.

“We'd sit down and look at each city's situation and see if we can realistically get there with each of those places,” Jones told The Dallas Morning News in Monday's editions. “It would be all very open and very visible for all of our fan base and for the decision-makers to look at.”

Cowboys' presentations planned by February 2002 would include stadium models and costs, giving interested cities an indication of their financial commitment, Jones said.

“We've retained designers and general contractors who have built stadiums and have given us estimates,” said Jones. “We've also continued to work on feasibility studies and estimates on the economic projects around the stadium.

“It's time to put our teeth into the building of a new stadium because of where we are with our lease,” he said. “Because of potential interest in several areas in the metroplex, it's time for us to make a decision on what we're going to do.”

In recent months, the Cowboys' focus on a stadium has intensified because the lease at Texas Stadium expires from 2006 to 2008. A disagreement between the city of Irving and the club concerning language in the contract had led to ambiguity about when it expires, Jones said.

Formal discussions have already occurred with Arlington representatives, he said, with informal talks at other places.

Plans also include a sports theme park complete with a hotel, museums and galleries. They would be refined and become more detailed as the club and prospective cities negotiate.

“Who becomes a player is really a function of where the cities are at in terms of (their) balance sheet,” said Reid Rector, executive vice president of economic development for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.