Progress is being made at the Memorial Auditorium downtown, where the Dallas Wings are expected to move in the coming years, with new designs shared with City Council members Friday.
The plans are part of an effort to revamp the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and its surrounding area, where officials are also hoping to ready a portion of the space ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup. The new arena is expected to play a role in Dallas’ efforts to revitalize downtown.
Designs were shared with the City Council in a Friday memo, explaining that the design stage is complete and that architecture and engineering teams are preparing to work on construction documents. The newly imagined arena is estimated to seat more than 9,000 people in some configurations and 8,400 for basketball games, according to plans included in Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley’s memo.
Work on the project began in February. Teams worked to craft a “cohesive design” around themes “rooted in the building’s legacy” and connection to the city, according to the memo.
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The building is expected to meet the requirements of a modern basketball arena while functioning as a flexible event venue that could host WWE wrestling, concerts, esports, comedians and other gatherings. New plans show configurations for the different scenarios.
With a reimagined seating bowl, the arena is expected to support basketball, along with events that require a stage in the center or at the edge of the space, maximizing the number of seats. According to the memo, teams in design and engineering are coordinating to address structural issues and required upgrades to meet code, accessibility and operating standards.
New, more sustainable materials will contrast with the original brick building, Bentley wrote. “This balance of old and new reinforces the building’s legacy while shaping a unique, tailored design identity for its next chapter,” the memo says.
A preliminary rendering of a court at the reimagined Memorial Auditorium was shared in a city memo on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.
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The layout aims to improve aspects such as the efficiency of entry, overall fan and visitor experience, and team performance areas, the document says.
City leaders have positioned the Wings to play a role in downtown revitalization. The team was expected to move from playing home games at UT Arlington’s College Park Center to playing them at the downtown venue next year. Then, delays with the redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center stalled the transition, The Dallas Morning News reported in May.
The Wings are expected to move under a 15-year, $19 million use agreement that also included the construction of a practice facility.
The project is now on target for 2027, according to Friday’s memo. Project costs will be finalized during the construction design phase. Components of the design are expected to be taken to market, and the staff is expected to update the council as the process advances.
