DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks confirmed they plan to leave Downtown Dallas and have entered into an option agreement to purchase 104 acres at the former Valley View Mall site in North Dallas for a new arena and entertainment district. The team executed option agreements for approximately 104 acres of the 110-acre site, following more than a year of analyzing potential locations within Dallas city limits.
The Mavericks aim to open the new arena in time for the 2031-32 season, aligning with the expiration of their lease at the American Airlines Center. The team had previously targeted a July decision to allow sufficient time for construction before the lease ends.
According to a Mavericks spokesperson, the Valley View site meets most of the criteria established at the outset of the team’s evaluation process. The planned development includes a state-of-the-art arena and an entertainment district intended to function as a community anchor point, potentially featuring a hotel, restaurants, retail, and green space.
"We believe in Dallas, and our priority has been clear from the beginning: keeping the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas," a Mavericks spokesperson wrote. The spokesperson added, "Done thoughtfully and with community engagement, a project of this scale will serve as a meaningful economic catalyst for Dallas and its residents."
Valley View Mall ceased operations at the end of 2021, and the last structures were demolished in 2023 after multiple fires. The site had been slated for a separate $85 million mixed-use development called Dallas Midtown, which broke ground in 2025 and was expected to welcome residents in early 2028. It remains unclear whether the Mavericks’ arena plans will affect that project.
The Valley View location lies within the Dallas International District, a 450-acre area designated by the city in 2013 with plans for a 20-acre park and a vision of a multicultural live-work-play-visit community. However, the site lacks rail transit access, unlike the American Airlines Center, which is served by DART light rail. While DART buses operate in the Valley View area, the absence of train service may raise concerns about traffic and transportation access. The Mavericks’ selection of the North Dallas site diminishes prospects for a downtown arena, ending a push by some to keep the team’s next home in the city’s urban core.
No independent assessment of Dallas Mavericks’s claims was available.