Update: This article has been updated to reflect that Grand Prairie City Council voted unanimously to approve the plan.
The Grand Prairie City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening on a plan to redevelop the former home of the Texas AirHogs into a state-of-the-art Major League Cricket facility ― the second-ever in the U.S. where the sport is working to gain traction.
“We’re excited. We’re very excited,” Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen told those in attendance at the council meeting.
Redevelopment of the stadium, which could cement North Texas as a top U.S. market for professional cricket, will take place through 2021, according to the city. AirHogs Stadium will be renamed and would be expected to host a Dallas franchise team for Major League Cricket, which will launch by 2022.
The city proposal contributes a cash grant of $1.3 million toward the project, $200,000 for maintenance and a full rebate on taxes for construction materials. Major League Cricket plans to make a seven-figure investment in the facility, including the addition of two fields adjacent to the stadium, said Will Swann, director of corporate development for the league.
AirHogs Stadium seats 5,445 and has 13 luxury suites. The only other professional cricket stadium in the U.S. is in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Major League Cricket will take on two 10-year leases and pay $20,000 a month to use the stadium, according to city documents.
The Texas AirHogs terminated its membership in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball on Oct. 23.
Despite winning a league championship in 2011, the AirHogs struggled to build a fanbase in North Texas since the team’s formation in 2008. The team’s lease on the stadium was set to expire this year, said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen.
Jensen said the cricket stadium could provide a lift for surrounding businesses and newly developed hotels. The North Texas population is rapidly diversifying, giving him hope that cricket could have a substantial fanbase in the region.
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“It reminds me of 40 years ago, when soccer made a big splash in the United States,” said Jensen.
The centuries-old sport has enjoyed massive popularity around the globe and specifically in southeast Asian countries, Swann said. In Dallas-Fort Worth, the North Texas Cricket Association website lists 41 clubs. Public parks in Plano and Allen regularly host weekend matches.
“It’s got great potential to catch on in a big way in the U.S.,” Swann said, adding that the U.S. boasts roughly 20 million cricket fans.
Last year, private developers considered including a $500 million multi-use sports complex, which would include cricket, for an 80-acre live-work-play development called The Avenue in Allen. The plans were scrapped in February due to neighborhood opposition and the departure of a key player in the project.
But Jensen is enthusiastic about the opportunity for Grand Prairie. “Along the I-30 corridor, you’re going to have the Mavericks, cricket, horse racing, baseball and football,” he said.
USA Cricket, which partners with Major League Cricket, recently created a foundational plan to establish cricket as a leading sport in the U.S. by 2030.
The redeveloped stadium will play a central part in USA Cricket’s bid to bring international cricket competitions and the Cricket World Cup to the U.S. over the next 10 years. While under construction, the stadium will be used as a center for the USA Cricket men’s and women’s national teams as well as youth teams.
“The successful development of a cricket-dedicated stadium has long been a priority for us, and it is a significant stride forward for the growth of cricket in America," USA Cricket chairman and president of the NFL’s 49ers Paraag Marathe said in a statement. "We also look forward to bringing international cricket events, and the crowds that go with them, to our new stadium, and to help introduce the sport to a broader audience.”
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