Irving has historically had a lot of factors in its favor, like a central location between Dallas and Fort Worth and easy access to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It has been a great place for people to live and work, but entertainment options have been slim, especially since the Dallas Cowboys moved to Arlington in 2009. Now the city of Irving is ready to regain its place as an entertainment center, according to a story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

The Irving Music Factory Entertainment Complex is complete and ready to officially open Aug. 31. The 16.7-acre facility is located off State Highway 114 in the Las Colinas neighborhood of Irving.

It will draw both residents and visitors to the live music venue that seats up to 7,000 people. In addition to providing space for live musical acts, it will also feature 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 100,000-square-foot concert hall and amphitheater that seats 8,000, an additional 10,000 square feet of office space, and an outdoor event plaza called The Pavilion. 

Rendering Courtesy of Music Factory

“You’ve got this monster weekday population, and almost no entertainment in the immediate area,” Noah Lazes, president of ARK Group, the developer behind the 250,000-square-foot Irving Music Factory project, said in the Star-Telegram. “Las Colinas is the epicenter of the DFW market, smack in the center of the fourth-largest market in the U.S. It’s a location that draws from all directions.”

Irving economic development leaders estimated in January that the Irving Music Factory will bring 1,500 jobs to the area and about $14 million in sales tax revenue over a 10-year period.

The entertainment complex was scheduled to open for initial performances by Labor Day weekend. However, plans for the complex include additional restaurants, bars, and movie theaters, all slated to open gradually throughout 2018.