Dallas Mavericks say team has two location options for future arena
The Dallas Mavericks hope to be playing in a new arena by the time their lease expires with American Airlines Center in 2031, and CEO Rick Welts said the team has narrowed the search down to two locations.
One location option is where the former Valley View Center was located at Preston Road and Interstate 635, Welts said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News.
The second location would be downtown. An exact location was not given, but Dallas City Hall could be an option if the city decides to demolish the building.
Welts said the team was aiming for a decision by July 1 but acknowledged some of that was out of the team’s control. He said the Mavericks needed to start gaining traction if they wanted to open by 2031.
“Right now, our hope is somewhere around July 1, the end of the NBA season, that we are in position to be able to make a decision,” Welts said. “But a lot of that is out of our control, out of the city’s control. ... We want to open in 2031. That means we’re on the clock. Sounds like a long time, but for a 50-acre mixed-use entertainment district, an arena, public gathering places — we’re on the clock.”
The Mavericks’ decision on where their next stadium will be built is going on simultaneously as the team is still in a legal dispute with the Dallas Stars over American Airlines Center.
