The Economic Impacts Of An NFL Stadium

An Economic Research Associate study finds that a proposed stadium in Arlington, TX will generate $15.82 billion in economic impacts for the city over 30 years.

1 minute read

August 16, 2004, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The City of Arlington publishes the full Economics Research Associates (ERA) report on the proposed stadium as a PDF:

"ERA was retained by the City of Arlington, Texas to evaluate the economic and fiscal impacts related to the construction of the proposed stadium in Arlington and the operations of the Dallas Cowboys (Cowboys) of the National Football League (NFL) and other stadium events. As part of this evaluation, the City would like to understand the economic and fiscal impacts that may affect the City of Arlington (City), and Tarrant County(County) as a result of the proposed project....

"The proposed stadium is intended to be a state -of-the-art football-dedicated stadium. Theproposed stadium is to feature total seating for approximately 75,000 spectators, including luxurysuites similar in numbers to Texas Stadium (381) and other new NFL stadiums, and a dedicatedclub seat section with seating for 5,000 to 10,000 spectators. There is expected to beapproximately 20,000 parking spaces available on-site or in close proximity. Based on ourreview of the building program provided by the Cowboys, the project is estimated to costapproximately $620 million to construct, excluding land acquisition and financing costs."

[Editor's note: The link below is to a 500K PDF.]

Thanks to Urban Policy Listserv

Friday, August 13, 2004 in City Of Palo Alto, California

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People walking by a brick school in Cambridge.

After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker

Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.

45 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

A rendering of the park, with green grass and a bass sculpture that looks like several tall arches in a row.

40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park

The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.

1 hour ago - Block Club Chicago

the New Mexico State capital building, made of orange clay

‘Hoodwinked:’ New Mexico bill aimed at microgrids paves way for data center development

In an interview with High Country News, Padilla said the legislation “ignited” New Mexico's economy.

2 hours ago - High Country News