Attention all hockey fans . . . McKinney is getting a StarCenter!!!
The Dallas Stars and Hicks Sports Marketing Group (HSMG) announced today that they will build a new Dr Pepper StarCenter ice arena in Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. The Dr Pepper StarCenter McKinney will be built on 7.3 acres of land in Craig Ranch in far southwest McKinney. It is scheduled to open in August, 2009.
This new ice facility will mark the ninth Dr Pepper StarCenter in the Metroplex, utilized for youth and adult hockey, and general ice skating for the public. The city of McKinney will own the center and the Dallas Stars Hockey Club will operate it.
Hicks Sports Marketing Group is the exclusive sponsorship and marketing representative of the expansive Craig Ranch development. Just as the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, Liverpool Football Club and Mesquite Championship Rodeo are part of the Hicks Sports family, so now is Craig Ranch.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Craig Ranch,” said Jim Lites, president of HSMG. “This is a perfect location for a Dr Pepper StarCenter. The Dallas Stars have grown the sport of ice hockey to new levels in North Texas and we will continue to expose it to more kids and families and get them out there skating. More and more kids are playing hockey and this newest facility will only continue that trend.
“David Craig has hit a home run with Craig Ranch. We are impressed with his vision and we share his commitment to youth sports and top-notch facilities.”
The Dr Pepper StarCenter McKinney will have two sheets of ice, eight locker rooms, and a pro’s room where professional hockey players can teach classes. This StarCenter will also sport a girls’ exclusive locker room, as girls hockey is becoming more and more popular. It is expected that the facility will bring in 600,000 to 700,000 visitors annually.
The McKinney Community Development Corp.’s board of directors approved the funding of the new StarCenter last week.
“A lot of kids in McKinney are playing hockey and skating and having a StarCenter here makes good sense,” said McKinney City Councilman Brian Loughmiller. “It’s another opportunity to get ancillary development around Craig Ranch with it ultimately paying for itself. I, for one, am very excited about it.”
Added David Craig, founder and master developer of Craig Ranch, “There was an automatic attraction to the Hicks Sports Marketing Group for us and it’s a perfect relationship. I’m thrilled and honored to partner with Tom Hicks and the Hicks Sports Marketing Group. He’s a winner and we’re winners, and I think if you want to be the best, you have to partner with the best. Certainly, there’s no one better to do that than HSMG.”
Craig Ranch is a 2,500-acre master-planned, mixed-use development located in one of the most exciting growth centers of the Southwest - McKinney, Texas. A virtual city within a city, Craig Ranch allows business, entertainment, athletic and residential life to converge under the concept of “new urbanism,” which combines the feel of a traditional hometown.
The centerpiece of the community is the PGA TOUR Tournament Players Club at Craig Ranch, which is consistently ranked as one of the top golf courses in the United States by the USGA. The venue will be the site of the Nationwide Tour Championship in November 2008, and will be hosted by the prestigious Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
Currently under construction, the Town Center at Craig Ranch will be the heart of the development, featuring residences and loft offices above street bistros, fine dining, shops, boutiques and corner stores. A five-star luxury hotel will be adjacent to the Town Center, as will an amphitheater and a Veteran’s Memorial Wall, commemorating the 321 fallen American soldiers who hailed from Collin County.
The Cooper Aerobics Center at Craig Ranch was established in 2006 and offers an array of medical, fitness and wellness amenities to meet the needs of individuals, families and corporate clients.
The Michael Johnson Performance Center opened at Craig Ranch in June 2007 and is a 24,000-square-foot indoor training facility personally run by five-time Olympic gold medalist, nine-time world champion sprinter Michael Johnson.
There are 13 soccer fields and 14 baseball and softball diamonds at the Ballfields at Craig Ranch, which is home to the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League, a wood-bat summer league on par with the prestigious Cape Cod summer baseball league. The facility runs tournaments nearly year-round, and is among the largest sanctioning bodies of Little League Baseball in the nation.
“This is an exciting time for Craig Ranch and the city of McKinney,” said Lites. “Hicks Sports Marketing Group is excited to be a part of it.”
No comments:
Post a Comment