Arlington city leaders to consider clarifying AT&T Stadium agreement with Cowboys

The Arlington City Council is looking at an amended lease agreement with the Dallas Cowboys that clarifies what the city will pay to maintain AT&T Stadium and what the team will pay for.

A resolution the council is set to consider offers more details. The proposal clarifies that the city's contribution covers the actual costs of maintaining, operating, and managing the stadium. The Cowboys, meanwhile, must fund and complete improvements specified in the Master Agreement by 2043.

Those improvements include hardening perimeters, building pedestrian bridges, adding security screening shacks, getting more security cameras, adding more venue parking, digital signage, kitchen and concession build-outs, and improvements to the stadium plaza, among others. Improvements to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are also included in what the Cowboys are expected to pay for.

The proposed changes follow the city's approval of a $273 million stadium deal earlier this year, despite concerns from residents who have called for a referendum to let voters decide. The Cowboys have offered to pay for all the upgrades up front, with the city paying them back $50 million in 2028 and $20 million every year after through 2048.