Plans for Frisco Hall of Fame to be Unveiled Oct. 14

Following the fourth and final signoff by Frisco, Texas, entities, U.S. Soccer and FC Dallas are set to unveil plans to move the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum to Frisco at a press conference to be held Oct. 14 at Toyota Stadium. The news was reported in an article below in Soccer America Daily.

On Tuesday night, the Frisco Independent School District voted to approve an amendment to the Toyota Stadium lease agreement between Frisco Stadium, LLC, and the City of Frisco for the project to move forward. The Frisco Community Development Corporation, Frisco Economic Development Corporation and Frisco City Council also voted to approve the amendment.

The new lease agreement calls for the funding of $39 million in improvements to Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas since 2005, in order to house the National Soccer Hall of Fame at the south end of the stadium complex. The NSHOF has been without a home since 2010 when the 5,000-square-foot hall was closed in Oneonta, New York.

Plans call for the construction of new locker rooms so that access will be from two separate field-level tunnels, an improved media room, an expansion of the suite level, new restrooms, new video boards and audio enhancements. An 80,000-square-foot building will house the soccer museum and host large events. FC Dallas and Frisco are looking into attracting a hotel adjacent to the stadium.

Soccer isn't the only reason Frisco is bullish on the complex. The new locker rooms will hold 100 football players each. Toyota Stadium has hosted the NCAA Division I football championship since 2010. The lease agreement will allow Frisco High School to play state playoff games at the stadium.

Frisco is a mecca for facilities in sports-mad Dallas. The minor-league baseball Frisco Roughriders play at Dr Pepper Ballpark and the NHL Dallas Stars practice and the D-League basketball Texas Legends play at Dr Pepper Arena. The NFL Cowboys will move into The Ford Center at The Star, their new $252 million headquarters, in 2016.

The cost of the improvements to the Toyota Stadium complex is projected to be $39 million. Any amount in excess of $39 million will be the responsibility of FC Dallas. Revenue bonds issued by the Frisco Community Development Corporation will pay for the work.

The Frisco site, which includes a youth soccer complex and serves as the national headquarters of U.S. Youth Soccer, has been the favorite to become the new Hall of Fame home. Hunt Sports Group, which owns FC Dallas, entered exclusive negotiations with the U.S. Soccer in 2014. A collection of more than 80,000 items has been stored by Eurosport at its warehouses in North Carolina.

The Poconos in Pennsylvania, also expressed interest in hosting the Hall of Fame. Plans called for opening a 40,000-square-foot hall of fame alongside a 5,000-seat stadium, 20 outdoor fields and a hotel.

Read the full article here.