Dallas Wings' new Oak Cliff practice facility approved by city council

DALLAS - Dallas City Council members formally approved building a new practice facility for the Dallas Wings in Oak Cliff.

The 12 to 2 vote did come with a bit of controversy.

The two no-votes expressed concerns that the facility is in Oak Cliff, rather than part of the convention center reconstruction adjacent to the Wings new arena, Dallas Memorial Auditorium.

Dallas Wings practice facility

The backstory:

Last spring, the city of Dallas made a deal with the Wings for the team to move from UT Arlington's College Park Center to the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, which will be reconstructed.

That move is delayed until 2027, due to renovations for the FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Center.

The city's agreement with the Wings also states that it would also provide a practice facility for the Dallas Wings before their 2026 season.

What Happened:

With Wednesday's vote, the new practice facility will be built on land donated to the city 18 years ago by Joe Georgusis in honor of his late son.

City staff estimated that the value of the donated land today would be about $175 million. The land was never developed.

The practice facility is six miles from the convention center.

It is estimated to cost $55 million, but the city is still finalizing the exact amount.

Georgusis made the trip to Dallas from Louisiana to express his support for the project.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson celebrated the vote, calling it a "big deal."

The other side:

 Dallas City Councilman Paul Ridley said it is unlikely the city could have a new facility designed and built in time for the 2026 season, as promised.

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn took issue with the cost.

What they're saying:

"It will take at least a year if not two years to then design and construct the facility, that will put us long past the beginning of the 2026 season," said Ridley. "We don't want to leave this team homeless for a practice facility before the beginning of the 2026 season."

"We have serious, serious budget concerns in this city. It's shocking, honestly, how much money is being spent on things like this," said Mendelsohn.

"Cities that win the competiton amongst cities are the cities that actually are fun and want to live in because there is stuff to do in them," said Johnson. "We are going to reward the people who want to play in our city limits. We're going to reward the entities that want to play the games in our town and not just wear the name."