Irving's new mayor, 85, wants to develop the old Texas Stadium site the Cowboys left 14 years ago
New Irving Mayor Al Zapanta has a list of priorities that begins with making plans for the former Dallas Cowboys site.
"Number one, we have what I call a dead asset," he said. "And that's the 80 acres of the former Dallas Cowboys site, Stadium site." Zapanta made his remarks during a recent interview with CBS News Texas.
The former Texas Stadium site has been empty for the past 14 years. That's 14 years without any revenue being generated from the property that the city still pays taxes on.
Zapanta said, "So, I'm looking at how do we make all that work? Because if you drive down 114 ... and Loop 12, it's empty. We don't want it empty. I don't want them to because again, that's jobs. What I call economic development. That's also taxes for amenities of a park. DART has said that they want to participate once we are going to do something because their line comes right through the middle of it. So, number one priority. That's what I want."
Though the Cowboys have found their new home in Arlington, Zapanta told Jack Fink about his conversations with other sports teams about developing the site, including the Dallas Stars. "We talked about their vision and what they said to me and us at that time, with my city manager and head of the Irving Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, very pointedly saying, 'you have the number one prized site in all of Texas right there in the former Dallas Cowboys site.' We know that."
The conversation with the Stars was not to discuss a possible new home for the NHL team, but instead, a new project. The Stars previously announced their new home will be in Plano.
"We think we have a vision for your site. And I said, really? Let's talk about that," said Zapanta. "They laid it out, and I said, yeah, that's interesting."
Zapanta said that he was unable to disclose any more details because a letter of interest had not yet been signed.
He also mentioned having conversations with the Dallas Mavericks, even as the team's sights are set on the former Valley View Mall site along LBJ Freeway in Far North Dallas. Zapanta referred to the old Texas Stadium site, along with 200 acres adjacent to it owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
"I mean, we have the site," he said. "And you know, at the end of the day, I'm open to talk to any and all to include them, and they know that. And we haven't closed any discussions with anybody."
Zapanta's career has had a multitude of chapters.
"Military, government at all levels, private sector, and, you know, nonprofit," said Zapanta. "Sitting on the city council and then now running for mayor, it was like the evolution of somebody that really believes in public service. Believes that if I can bring something to that role, maybe with experience, maybe some wisdom with my age, and hopefully some energy."
When asked why he wanted to run for mayor at 85, he said," I'm going to make it really blunt. Just like my father, who made it to 96. And you stopped challenging yourself, or you stopped doing things that you enjoy doing and that you feel you can make a difference. You die within 3 to 5 years. I've seen so many of my friends that retired from ARCO, oil and gas Atlantic Richfield, or my military [friends], and they just wait for the time to retire."
"I've got three retirements, and I'm not done," said Zapanta. "This may be my last call to... city mayor of Irving. But I get up every day, enjoy getting up. I enjoy doing things."