$52M Allen Event Center Tops Out

The project broke ground in June 2008 at U.S. 75 and Stacy Road. In addition to two sheets of ice, the 188,000-square-foot facility will contain 26 suites and meeting space. Allen Event Center will provide a venue for concerts, trade shows and other professional sporting events, and is home to the Central Hockey League Allen Americans.

The Allen Americans are owned by Top Shelf LLC a partnership that includes Allen businessman Doug Miller and former NHL Detroit Redwings Steve Duchesne. The hockey team is scheduled to start its 2009-2010 season in early November.

[IMGCAP(2)]Gar Herring, president with the Dallas-based MGHerring Group, says the 400-acre Village at Allen is the first of his company's developments to have an entertainment component like Allen Even Center. In addition to turning the Village at Allen and neighboring development Village at Fairview into a destination location by offering sports entertainment, live concerts and conventions, the facility taps into a greater trade area, Herring says.

"This brings people here that normally wouldn't come here," he tells GlobeSt.com. "The hockey trade area is a 30 mile radius around here. A concert event will pull people from 80 miles." The center also provides great PR for the retail, residential and office development, he continues. "When people come here for events or conferences, they have places to eat and shop," he remarks. "When we put this all together, it was really a no-brainer."

[IMGCAP(3)]Herring says he's strongly considering incorporating event facilities in future developments, though nothing specific is in the plans right now. "We'd love to find other operators to team up with, or we'd like to team up with Global again on other developments," he adds.

Global Entertainment's president and CEO Rick Kozuback is amenable to future partnerships with MGHerring. "That would be wonderful," Kozuback tells GlobeSt.com. "Herring is a visionary partner and it would be great to replicate this concept in other states and markets."

The Tempe, AZ event facilities developer is currently working on projects in Independence, MO and Dodge City KS in addition to Allen Even Center. The Missouri development should be completed close to the same time as the Allen Events Center. Global anticipates breaking ground on the Dodge City project in late summer 2009. Looking toward 2010, Kozuback says sites in Texas, Alabama and Wisconsin are under consideration for future development.