Even with price jump, new arena still a steal

More bells and whistles are coming to the new Dickies Arena.

The price tag of the new Fort Worth multipurpose arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Center jumped up significantly, to the tune of $90 million, but taxpayers won’t feel the wallet pinch.

You can thank Ed Bass and Event Facilities Fort Worth for that.

Though the arena will cost around $540 million, the city’s contribution is capped at $225 million.

That’s a steal.

The city will pick up that tab by charging a reasonable livestock facility tax, ticket tax and/or parking tax.

The new, 14,000-seat arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex is needed, especially as the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo breaks attendance records.

The 81-year-old coliseum only seats about 6,000 and is in need of upkeep — and parking.

More than 5,000 new parking spots, about 2,000 of which are in a parking garage, will be added.

It will be an attractive venue not just for rodeos, but for any entertainment and/or sports events that wants to stop in North Texas. It will give the American Airlines Center a run for its money.

The NCAA has already picked the venue to host the men’s basketball first and second rounds in 2022 and the women’s gymnastics championships in 2020.

The arena is expected to open in 2019.

We can’t wait.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Even with price jump, new arena still a steal."