The Dallas Mavericks are heading north to build a new home.
On Monday, the Mavericks confirmed they had reached a preliminary agreement to build an arena and surrounding entertainment district at the former Valley View Mall site in North Dallas, instead of in downtown Dallas. The Valley View Mall tract is roughly 12 miles north of American Airlines Center, the arena the Mavericks currently occupy and have played in since 2001.
The Mavericks’ lease at American Airlines Center runs through July 2031, which means they will remain in Dallas’ Victory Park neighborhood for five more seasons. The team hopes to begin playing in its new arena during the 2031-32 season.
“The Valley View site meets most of the criteria established at the outset of our evaluation process. It is our goal to stay in the city of Dallas, and we believe this site provides the strongest opportunity to achieve that goal,” the Mavericks said in a statement. “We have the opportunity to create a vibrant, mixed-use destination anchored by a state-of-the-art arena, along with restaurants, entertainment options, public green spaces and family-friendly experiences. Done thoughtfully and with community engagement, a project of this scale will serve as a meaningful economic catalyst for Dallas and its residents.
“We believe in Dallas, and our priority has been clear from the beginning: keeping the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.”
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont hired Rick Welts as CEO in January 2025 so that Welts could oversee the team’s arena project. Welts, who was the point person on the Golden State Warriors’ construction of the Chase Center, had maintained since March that the Mavericks wanted to make a decision about a future arena site by July 1.
Welts said in March that the Mavericks needed at least 50 acres to build their arena and entertainment district. The team will have plenty of space to build on the 104-acre tract located at Interstate 635 and Preston Road.
“I think what we’re envisioning is one of the biggest sports developments that’s ever taken place,” Welts said in March. “We’re talking hotels. We’re talking retail. We’re talking a new arena. A new practice facility. Wherever this is built, it spurns additional development in that area. And that’s a real benefit.”
If the Mavericks had chosen to build a new arena downtown, that could have required Dallas to knock down City Hall, a 48-year-old I.M. Pei-designed concrete structure that resembles an inverted pyramid. While City Hall is badly in need of repair, a contingent of Dallasites fought to keep it alive.
The Mavericks’ decision to choose Valley View over a downtown site means that it’s possible Dallas does not have one of its four major pro sports teams playing in its main urban core during the 2030s. The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and the MLB’s Texas Rangers already play in Arlington. The NHL’s Dallas Stars, who are currently located at American Airlines Center, are reportedly exploring a move to Plano.
The Mavericks won their only championship in franchise history — the 2011 title — while playing at American Airlines Center.
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