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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Saturday, January 17, 1998 Dallas arena proposal finally goes to the voters By CHRISTY LEMIRE / Associated Press Writer DALLAS (AP) -- Weeks of heated debate and ardent campaigning ends Saturday with Dallas voters deciding whether to approve a financing scheme for a proposed downtown arena for the city's pro basketball and hockey teams. If the proposition wins, auto rental taxes would rise 5 percent and the hotel tax would go up by 2 percent to raise $125 million for the $230 million arena, which would be built just north of downtown. Mavericks owner Ross Perot Jr. and Stars owner Tom Hicks, who also recently purchased the Texas Rangers baseball team, would split the remaining building costs and pay $132 million in rent over the next 30 years. If the measure fails, the city of Dallas would likely lose the NBA Mavericks and NHL Stars to a suburb, leaving the nation's ninth-largest city without a team in the four major professional sports. A poll released last week by The Dallas Morning News showed 54 percent of voters polled were for the proposition, 40 percent against it and 6 percent undecided. However, people on both sides agree the race probably will be closer. Proponents say the arena -- which would seat up to 21,000 people and feature about 100 luxury skyboxes -- would spur hundreds of millions of dollars in downtown development and create thousands of jobs. Opponents argue that Reunion Arena, built for the Mavericks when they began in 1980 and home to the Stars since moving from Minnesota in 1993, is in good shape. They also question why they should help wealthy businessmen build a new facility, especially without any guarantees of a downtown boom. Perot and Hicks aren't obligated to develop the area around the arena. However, Perot has talked about a vision for a "Times Square" of Dallas surrounding the building. Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk is among those supporting the proposal. He points out to his constituents that they won't be paying the tab unless they rent a car or stay in an in-town hotel. He also warns that the city would lose a lot of money if the team's fled to a suburb. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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