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Cedar Park signs deal for new Event Center; Groundbreaking set for May, opens October 2009

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Cedar Park Mayor Bob Lemon signed the city into a contract with Hicks Sports Management Group (HSG) Wednesday night for a new event center that is scheduled to open in October 2009.

HSG, which owns the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers, said it will bring its American Hockey League affiliate - the Iowa Stars - to Cedar Park and will name them the Texas Stars.

The city has tried to get an event center for the last six years, but all deals have fallen through until Wednesday as all the pieces finally came together.

"This has been a long, long process," said Lemon, who said he has personally been involved with three projects as part of the council. "This is the kind of thing we want Cedar Park to be known for. For the next 25 years we have something great to look forward to."

Jim Lites, president of HSG and former president of the Dallas Stars, spoke to the council before the final vote of the evening.

"It was a dream of mine when I came here toTexas in 1993 with the Stars to Dallas that we have our minor-league team here in our television market and this is a great market," Lites said. "We are really thrilled it's here and are able to play in this building."

The Cedar Park Event Center will cost approximately $55 million, of which $43 million will come from the city. HSG will foot $12 million of the cost - roughly 22 percent. HSG paid $1 million on Wednesday and will pay $11 million more on May 9, 2008.

HSG will pay rent of $2.5 million over the course of 20 years, with none for the first five years. The city will receive half of all ticket fees. For example, a $7 ticket may have a $2 ticket fee. The city would receive $1 for each of those. The city will also draw sales tax from the $7 ticket, any beverages or food sold inside, any parking or any merchandise sold.

Key Dates in CPEC process:

Feb. 20, 2008 -- Agreement signed by the city and HSG

May 29, 2008 -- Bond proceeds available to 4A Corporation

May 30, 2008 -- Groundbreaking & Begin site and infrastructure work

Sept. 30, 2009 -- Substantial Construction is complete

Oct. 20, 2009 -- Ribbon cutting and Grand Opening

The configurations for the Cedar Park Events Center include:

• Situated on the northwest corner of the New Hope Road-183A intersection, the front of the event center will face due east toward the toll road

• It can seat 6,800 for hockey games

• It can seat up to 8,700 for concerts when retractable seats aren't moved

• It can seat up to 7,200 for concerts when retractable seats are retracted

• It will have 2,500 parking spots on the site

• Facility event floor can accommodate approximately 1,900 folding or stacking chairs for concerts and other special event

• A club level on the south side of the main concourse with easy access to club seats

• Lounges on the suite level

• Six main concessions planned for the concourse with TV monitors oriented towards the lineups at each concession and fixed or portable condiment stands

• Humidity control inside will rival that of NHL arenas in order to provide the same quality of ice as played on in NHL arenas

• It will have bowl seating and a center hung scoreboard

• The fabric of the bowl level seats are a combination of the Stars green and the city's green in its logo

• Event Center is ADA compliant

• Five large female restrooms and four large men's restrooms all evenly distributed throughout the main concourse

• Elevators on the north and south entrances

Events the center can accommodate:

• Professional hockey

• Concerts

• Sports like basketball, arena football, wrestling, tennis, indoor soccer and curling

• Professional bull riding

• Trade shows and consumer shows

• Exhibitions, bazaars, craft fairs and auctions

• Special community events

• Ice shows and figure skating competitions

• Family shows and stage shows

• Religious and political gatherings

• Conventions, meetings, banquets and dances

• Special pageants, celebrations and seminars

(The building will function well for each of the above uses and provide recognized standards of amenities and services appropriate to each event).

Extra amenities:

• First aid room

• Public telephones

• ATM's adjacent to main ticket locations and the lobby

• Drinking fountains evenly distributed

• Trash receptacles evenly distributed

Dressing rooms:

• Home team has 5,000 square-foot dressing room designed for the AHL tenant

• Four additional visitors dressing rooms

• Star or Officials dressing room

Read more about this in Friday's Weekender edition of the Hill Country News.

E-mail editor@hillcountrynews.com

Read more about this in Friday's Weekender edition of the Hill Country News.

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