The Dallas Mavericks plan to choose a location for their new arena and entertainment district by July, CEO Rick Welts said Thursday at the Mavs Ball. It is the clearest timeline the organization has offered on a project that has quietly shifted from conceptual to active development.
“We’re hoping, by July,” Welts said, noting the franchise intends to settle on a site large enough to support a 50-acre mixed-use district that would include a new arena, team headquarters, a practice facility, restaurants, retail, residential space, and potentially a hotel.
The Mavericks have also partnered with CAA to lead the commercial strategy for the future venue, the first formal outside partnership of the effort. The move signals the franchise is no longer simply exploring ideas but actively packaging the project for sponsors, naming-rights partners, and long-term commercial planning.
The Two Sites Still in Play for the Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are focused on two serious candidates.
The downtown option centers on land connected to Dallas City Hall, which has become part of a broader civic debate about whether the building should be renovated, relocated, or redeveloped.
Earlier this week on the Intersections podcast with former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and host Kyle Waldrep, Welts called the City Hall site “a very viable option.” But he also acknowledged a major obstacle: the team cannot negotiate for the land until the city decides what it wants to do.
“We haven’t even been able to talk to the city about what that deal would look like,” Welts said.
The second option is the former Valley View Mall property at Preston Road and I-635, a significantly larger tract in North Dallas with enough room to accommodate the full district footprint.
Welts reiterated the team needs roughly 50 acres and noted that finding that much contiguous land downtown is a real constraint.
The Valley View site is the only publicly known location that meets the acreage requirement and has ongoing redevelopment momentum.
A Project Far Bigger Than an Arena
Welts has repeatedly emphasized that this is not a simple arena replacement. The vision resembles what the Dallas Cowboys built with The Star in Frisco, a multi-use destination designed to operate year-round.
On the podcast, Welts said Live Nation has expressed interest in building a 4,000- to 5,000-seat venue on the site. He also mentioned plans for a four-star hotel connected directly to the arena and a training complex that “probably would include a medical facility run by a medical company you’re very familiar with,” though he did not name the partner.
The scope of the project suggests the Mavericks are pursuing a self-contained district that blends sports, entertainment, hospitality, and corporate operations, a model increasingly favored across the NBA.
Timeline and What Comes Next for the Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks’ current lease at American Airlines Center runs through 2031, which remains the working target for opening a new venue. The team shares AAC with the Dallas Stars, adding another layer of complexity to the long-term planning.
A site decision by mid-2026 would allow the Mavericks to begin formal design work, public financing discussions, environmental and infrastructure planning, political negotiations, and onboarding of commercial partners.
Welts’ July timeline marks the beginning of a decisive phase, one that will determine not only where the Mavericks play but how a major piece of Dallas’ future urban development takes shape.
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