Mavericks CEO Rick Welts discusses downtown Dallas arena plans, GM search
Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said Tuesday that discussions with lawmakers about a potential new downtown arena site can now move forward as the franchise faces a self-imposed July deadline to decide where it will build its next home. Welts, speaking alongside Mavericks President Ethan Casson during a lunch with Dallas area media, also sought to clarify remarks he made last week about Dallas City Hall possibly becoming part of the team’s long-term arena plans. “We were discussing a variety of potential sites for a future Mavericks’ arena,” Welts said.
“And in that conversation, she told me that it could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate City Hall, and it could be that the city would have to consider moving out of City Hall. That really was the summation of our conversation. ” The Mavericks plan to leave the American Airlines Center in 2031, when their lease expires, and are pursuing a basketball-only arena surrounded by a large entertainment district.
Dallas shares the AAC with the NHL’s Dallas Stars . There’s been a messy legal battle between the Stars and Mavericks. The team has narrowed its search to a downtown Dallas site and reportedly the former Valley View property in North Dallas.
The downtown option gained momentum earlier this month when the Dallas City Council voted 9-6 to explore whether the city should move out of its aging City Hall building, a 47-year-old structure designed by I. M. Pei.
Welts said that vote opened the door for more formal discussions between the franchise and city officials. “We have the ability now to talk to the city about a potential framework of a deal,” He said. “That’s something we hadn’t been able to talk to the city about before.
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