Artist's rendering of the Cedar Park arena

For years, the Austin Ice Bats hockey team tried to establish a permanent home in Cedar Park.

Last week, Cedar Park's City Council made use of a voter-approved sales tax hike aimed at economic development, so the Bats thought this was a good chance to make their move.

Cedar Park had other plans.

The city council decided to enter into an agreement that will transform an empty field at New Hope Road and Highway 183-A into a multiuse 6,800-seat arena. The arena is expected to be finished in 2009 and will become the home of the proposed new AHL hockey team, the Texas Stars, by 2010.

The agreement is with the Hicks Sports Group, owner of the Dallas Stars.

"They've got the financial strength to come in and be our partner, and they've also got the operational experience," Cedar Park economic development director Phil Brewer said.

Hicks beat out several other contenders, including the Austin Ice Bats. The CHL team tried for years to work out something with Cedar Park. Now the Bats believe they received a slap shot.

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	Cedar Park arena Cedar Park plans to go with a new AHL hockey team, the Texas Stars, in 2010.

"We actually put a lot of our future plans in Cedar Park, and now that they're turning their back on a team that's been here for 12 years, we're disappointed that they're going to go with somebody from out of town," Ice Bats president Randy Sanders said.

Though the animosity between the two is obvious, both sides believe the only fighting people will see will be on the ice. That's because Cedar Park and the Ice Bats believe they'll draw crowds.

"You can see how successful Dell Diamond and the Round Rock Express have been. I think this is just one more evolution in the growth of this entire region," Brewer said.

"I think with the pricing on the tickets and the quality of the play, they're going to be more concerned about the problem than I am," Sanders said.

The Cedar Park City Council is expected to approve a final agreement between Hicks and the city sometime in December.

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