Plano City Council approves using $700 million in taxpayer funds to build new Dallas Stars arena

City leaders in Plano took the first steps towards bringing the Dallas Stars out of downtown and into the North Texas suburb.Public funds for new Stars arenaPlano City Council approved contributing $700 million to help fund the roughly $1 billion Dallas Stars arena project at the Shops at Willow Bend Mall site.The council unanimously approved a tax increment reinvestment zone near the mall, with tax dollars collected near Willow Bend and the Dallas North Tollway used to back bonds.The City of Plano would own the potential new arena, and would enter into a 30-year lease agreement with the team.Also approved on Monday night was a plan to demolish Willow Bend. Plano agreed to grant around $15 million to the developer for demolition of the mall and the establishment of a visitor center.Demolition would begin in 2027.City leaders also showed off renderings of what the new arena would look like for the first time since the Stars announced their intent to build a new arena in Plano last week.