Big stars set to illuminate new arena

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) - On what was once 31 acres of bare land now sits the 181,000-square-foot Cedar Park Center tucked away in the city’s northern side.

Behind-the-scenes look at the Cedar Park Center

The multi-use facility opens Friday afternoon in advance of its first event, featuring country music megastar George Strait and show-opener Lee Ann Womack. The facility will also be the home of the Texas Stars Hockey Club, which is the affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.

And while it may be easy to be drawn into the event center’s pristine giant glass exterior, the center's general manager remembers what it all looked like just more than a year ago.

“It was just a piece of land, a blank piece of dirt,” said Cedar Park Center General Manager Rick McLaughlin. “We broke ground here in June 2008, and there was 40 or 50 of us standing in the middle of a field. And here we are Sept. 25, and this is a facility ready to host a major concert. We’ve built it from the ground up.”

Sitting down with the center's general manager

McLaughlin added that they not only built the building but have also built the staff, hiring a couple hundred event staff to coordinate the events.

The coordination was evident Thursday afternoon when KXAN.com stopped by for an extensive tour of the building. Crews were busy adding the finishing touches – and then some – to the inside and outside of the center.

The roar of the drill bits, hammer thuds echoing and sporadic fire alarm activations worked together in chorus. And though at times it was deafening, the sounds came as sort of a welcoming melody to the team that has been working to bring the Cedar Park Center to life.

“It’s been a combination of a lot of hard work and a lot of excitement together,” said McLaughlin.

The center touts 6,800 seats for hockey and 8,700 seats for concerts, including the four party suites and 20 regular suites. The arena - complete with concession stands, bars and lounges - is centered on a 31-acre site that includes 2,700 parking spaces.

Adjacent to the center, there is also a 17-acre retail site for mixed-use development that will include 91,000 square feet for retail and 91,000 square feet for commercial.