UPDATED: Dallas city leaders torn over how to handle Reunion “money pit” Arena

Updated 10:08 a.m., June 23, 2008

by PegNews wire

Tatu - one of many, often shirtless, Reunion Arena regulars.

The former home to, well, all the events now at the AAC, Dallas' Reunion Arena is currently little more than an economic drain. Reunion Arena loses $1 million a year and will be a hard sell due to its non-compete clause with the AAC. Some city leaders, such as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, quoted in the linked article, wants to keep the venue alive as part of Dallas history. Others see its future as rubble, a tear-down job that comes with a similarly hefty price of $5 million.

The economic development committee will meet Monday night to discuss possible solutions.

UPDATE: Reunion Arena hosted its final event on Saturday night, a Spanish language Christian rally. It will be razed to make way for something that the city probably doesn't need.

Posted by Erin

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John McClelland says:

If it has a no compete with AAC then it is essentially useless. It would probably be best to tear it down and redevelop the land. That might be a nice spot for hotel, condos, etc. Oh wait, they already bought extra land for a hotel. My bad.

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1 year, 5 months ago
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RollingThunder1975 says:

one word...

Casino!

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1 year, 5 months ago
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mjr092 says:

Tear down that biyatch and build a nice green park with grass, trees and water for us urbanites! Plant grass, do some landscaping, it's cheap. And, hasn't anyone noticed it's hella hot here with all this ugly brown concrete and steel. Every major cool city in the U.S. is defined by a nice, big wonderful city park.

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1 year, 5 months ago
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Scott Doyle says:

Needs more minor league baseball, imo.

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1 year, 5 months ago
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John McClelland says:

MJR, you're already getting the Woodall Rogers/TxDOT/"Insert Highest Bidder For A Name" Park over the freeway. And who could forget the Trinity TollPark. Parks galore are coming your way. There will be sunshine and starlings.

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Clay213 says:

More parks for homeless people to live in!

I still find it hard to believe some of the shady politics in this town.

A non-compete clause? So they build a new arena, and leave the old one there.. much of both built with tax money. And somehow there is a non-compete agreement built in the deal?

I thought republicans were die-hard 'free marketers'?

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1 year, 5 months ago
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Chris Kidd says:

Ya see, if Mayor Bitch..er..Miller didnt chase the Hunts away, we would'nt had this problem. That area would've already been in the process of redevelopment and possibly had a casino resort sitting right on the property. But wait, this is Dallas, were idiocracy rules.