The Dallas City Council voted Wednesday to hand construction control of the Dallas Wings' planned practice facility to the WNBA team itself — a move aimed at getting a project that has missed multiple deadlines back on track and delivered in time for the 2027 season.
The council voted 13-2 to modify its agreement with the Wings to build the facility, with the updated deal putting the team in charge of designing, funding, and constructing the 70,700-square-foot building at Joey Georgusis Park, at 1200 North Cockrell Hill Road — south of I-30 in the Far West Oak Cliff neighborhood.
The city of Dallas' total contribution to the project will be $57,240,000, which includes a $51 million economic development grant, a $3.24 million developer fee and $2.75 million the city had already spent. The funds are drawn from the Convention Center Construction Fund and Convention Center Revenue Bonds. Total project costs are now estimated at $81 million, with the Wings covering the remaining $27 million and responsible for any costs beyond that.
The budget swelled from the original $54 million approved in June 2025, driven in part by scope changes requested by the Wings and evolving WNBA facility standards. The cost overruns pushed the project's opening date back by up to two years.
City Manager Kimberly Tolbert had pledged at a groundbreaking ceremony in September 2025 that Dallas would deliver the practice facility by spring 2026. As of earlier this year, construction had not meaningfully started.
Tickets for our first three home games are now live!
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) March 19, 2026
*Purchasing a ticket unlocks presale access to our three American Airlines Center games 🔓
🎟️ Secure your tickets today: https://t.co/qd4MdzRtZ3 pic.twitter.com/Yr4Dyc9Fkc
Council Member Chad West, who chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention, said the vote "solidified Dallas' long-term commitment to professional women's sports" and was a "critical step to get this practice facility and community amenity back on track." Council members Cara Mendelsohn and Paul Ridley were the two votes against, citing concerns about construction costs.
City documents show the facility will include a community wing accessible to the public during scheduled hours, two adjacent soccer fields and a Chalk Hill Trail connection within the park. The facility will also be open to nearby communities, including Dallas ISD schools, for training, recreation and competition.
Even Sports Illustrated @SInow calls it massive. $81 million for a PRACTICE arena for a WNBA team.
— Cara Mendelsohn 🟦 (@caraathome) March 26, 2026
Should cities be funding things like this?
WNBA's Dallas Wings New Facility Project Gets Massive Green Light https://t.co/hXlNDOlDJw
Wings CEO Greg Bibb said Wednesday the team remains fully committed to Dallas, calling it "a bit of a long and winding road" but expressing optimism about the path forward. The updated plan has the Wings playing select home games at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas this season while the practice facility and the team's permanent arena — a refurbished Memorial Auditorium — are completed. The practice facility is targeted for a spring 2027 opening, with the Wings planning to play at the AAC in 2027 before moving into Memorial Auditorium for the 2028 season.
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The council voted 13-2 to modify its agreement with the Wings to build the facility
