The request to drop the casino part of Sands Corp’s plan came hours before the full city council was set to consider a zoning change to move the development forward.
IRVING, Texas — Just hours before Irving leaders were set to consider plans for a casino resort near the former Texas Stadium site by the owners of the Dallas Mavericks, an official from the company, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, requested the gambling part of the plan be withdrawn.
Mark Boekenheide, senior vice president of global real estate development for Las Vegas Sands Corp., which is owned by the same family that owns the Dallas Mavericks, requested the gaming component of the development be removed from the plans during a city council workshop Thursday afternoon after receiving pushback from some in the community.
“At this time, given the current status of gaming expansion legislation in the state and certainly some of the concerns that are being spoken in our several meetings here, Sands has asked the Irving City Council to remove the destination resort and gaming component from the proposal initially sent to you and instead consider approval of the balance of the uses in the rezoning entitlement,” Boekenheide said.
Earlier this week, the Irving City Council approved two proposals – one that would change a 1,001-acre development area around state highways 114, 183 and Loop 12 into high-intensity mixed-used development and another that would switch two specific tracts within that development on the northeast side of State Highway 114 across from the old Texas Stadium from transit-oriented to mixed-use, in a 5-4 vote earlier this week.
That vote was an early step toward eventually allowing Las Vegas Sands Corp. to build a resort and casino on the site, should Texas legalize gambling. Speculation that the venue could also include a sports arena led to rumors the Mavs could move to Irving.
The plans sparked protest and pushback from some in the Irving community. The Irving City Council meeting where the full city council was set to consider the zoning change is set to begin at 7 p.m.
“I think it’s safe to say the city of Irving’s long viewed this parcel as a valuable development asset and has explored ways to maximize the development with us as well as with the previous owner and of course, with us, including the option to create a multibillion-dollar gaming resort should the gaming laws in Texas change. As part of what is certainly going to be an open and ongoing process, our company appreciates the opportunity to share a vision of what that destination resort could look like in Irving or someplace else in the metroplex,” Boekenheide added during the workshop. “We value input from all of the stakeholders and the community.”
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