FRISCO, Texas – When the City of Frisco originally purchased 91 acres of land a few years ago, there was no specific plans what to do with all that space.
Eventually, they got the Dallas Cowboys involved and Jerry Jones and his family knew what to do with it.
Fast forward to Thursday and the two sides kicked off a Grand Opening of The Star in Frisco's entertainment district with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured the Jones family and Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney.
"Today is just a celebration of this whole process from building the [Ford Center] to getting the retail component, it's really brought something different for our residents;" said Cheney. "It's really improved the quality of life here in Frisco and created a new energy here in the city."
What The Star has already done for the Frisco community is priceless.
"Everyone in the country has heard of Frisco, Texas [now]," said Cheney.
Jerry Jones admitted that it was actually his children who talked him into the move to Frisco.
"It is rewarding when I look at what they have done since we got involved with the Cowboys. It's very rewarding because they've had so much to do with the success and being able to do something like this," he said.
Jerry Jones Jr., the Cowboys executive VP of Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, shared his thoughts on the Grand Opening and what it means for the Cowboys brand.
Views from the grand opening of the Entertainment District at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
29 March 2018: Views of The Star Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys)
"We're so excited about creating a place where the community can live, work and play," he said. "But it's really about having an experience. Whether you're with your family or friends, it has the feel of the Dallas Cowboys. It's a very unique experience that we've created here at The Star."
Cowboys VP/Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson echoed his sentiments: "Yes, it's our headquarters, but this is really about engaging and creating a community out here that the residents of Frisco and beyond can come out and enjoy."
The Cowboys brand has become the largest in the world of sports, but it's projects like The Star that have helped it grow outside of sports. Regardless of industry, the standard remains the same.
"Every time you do something and you attach it to the [Cowboys] brand, it needs to be quality, it needs to be first class, but most of all, it needs to work," Cowboys COO and executive VP Stephen Jones said. "It's going to draw all sorts of attention."
The Jones family is known for taking things to a new level that hasn't been done before.
"What's great is the evolving [of the Cowboys brand] and getting a chance to spend your working life with your family," Jerry Jones said. "That's a blessing."
Based on the Grand Opening, the Star in Frisco is yet another successful piece to the Jerry Jones legacy.
"When we first started negotiations with the Jones family, they said it's always going to turn out bigger and better than when we start," Cheney joked. "And that's what happened here."
The project has more than surpassed everyone's expectations. So much so that Cheney shared a new saying that's been going around Frisco:
"Let's meet at The Star and then figure the rest out from there."
