The Dallas Wings' training facility is expected to partially serve as a community center. Rendering: Courtesy of the city of Dallas.
The Dallas Wings' plans topractice and play in their eponymous city have taken off. The team broke ground last week on a new practice facility in Dallas.
Why it matters: Dallas, hoping to become more of a tourist destination, is spending millions of dollars to move the Wings from their current home in Arlington.
Once the move is complete, the Wings will practice in West Oak Cliff and play at Dallas Memorial Arena in downtown.
Follow the money: The practice facility is estimated to cost around $49 million, using city, state and private funding.
It's projected to open before the Wings' 2026 season.
The intrigue: The practice facility won't just be for basketball. The building will include an outdoor workout area, a "lifestyle suite" for hair and nail services, meeting spaces and mothers' rooms for nursing.
The Wings will also host community events such as basketball clinics and life skills classes.
"Our professional athletes will serve as role models not seen from afar on a television or social media platform, but in this community's backyard, right here in West Oak Cliff, up close and personal," Dallas Wings CEO Greg Bibb said at the groundbreaking.
Zoom out: The Wings have a 15-year, $19-million use agreement with the city of Dallas for Dallas Memorial Arena, located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, with the option to renew for another 15 years.
The city pushed back the arena's completion date to 2027 because FIFA is using the convention center for the 2026 Men's World Cup.
