Mavericks have deal to move arena out of downtown for first time

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have a preliminary agreement on a site for a new arena that would move the club out of downtown for the first time in 2031, a year after the franchise’s 50th anniversary.

The Mavericks said Monday the agreement is for 104 acres on the former site of a mall about 10 miles north of downtown. Demolition of Valley View Mall in north Dallas was completed three years ago.

The team also was considering a downtown site at the current location of City Hall. The Dallas City Council is deep into deliberations over whether to renovate or replace that building.

Mavericks CEO Rick Welts has said the club wanted to have the potential site settled by July in order to be able to complete construction of a new arena by 2031, when the lease with American Airlines Center expires.

Welts and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont have made it clear for nearly two years that they wanted the club to stay in Dallas, and they wanted to build a basketball-only arena.

The Mavericks and their co-tenant, the NHL’s Dallas Stars, are in a legal dispute related to arena relocations for both franchises. The Stars are considering whether to remain in the American Airlines Center or build their own arena in Dallas or one of the suburbs.

The Mavericks brought Welts out of retirement with the intention of putting him in charge of the arena project. Before he retired, Welts led the Golden State Warriors’ move to the Chase Center in San Francisco after that franchise had spent the previous 50 years in Oakland.

“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,” the team said in a statement. “Done thoughtfully and with community engagement, a project of this scale will serve as a meaningful economic catalyst for Dallas and its residents.”

The Mavericks spent their first 21 years at Reunion Arena in the southwest corner of downtown before moving to the AAC a little more than a mile to the north.