Arlington closer to paying off stadium

For all those folks in North Texas who have been voicing concern over increasing local debt, the city of Arlington has good news: It’s ahead of schedule on paying down debt on AT&T Stadium.

At current estimates, Arlington will issue its final bond payment a full decade ahead of schedule, saving local taxpayers close to $100 million in interest.

Stadium bonds are largely repaid through sales, hotel and car rental taxes, which have all been higher than initially anticipated.

The expedited payment schedule is mostly thanks to the tremendous success the stadium has enjoyed in attracting profitable events, including Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and the first College Football Playoffs national championship game in January.

It’s not exactly a surprise that Arlington will be free of its stadium debt earlier than expected, since the original estimate for debt repayment was conservative. But it’s certainly good for Arlington taxpayers and a credit to city leadership.

This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Arlington closer to paying off stadium."