After months of speculation regarding whether or not the Dallas Mavericks were eyeing the City Hall property as the location for its future arena, the team gave their answer this week: the Mavericks plan to move to the Valley View Mall area in northern Dallas.
But Council Member Maxie Johnson is concerned about the team moving far north, away from his community in southern Dallas.
Johnson said in a press release on Tuesday that the Mavericks are more than a basketball team — they are a "major economic engine" for the city. He said keeping the team in downtown protects the tax base, supports small businesses, creates jobs, and drives economic development.
“For too long, Southern Dallas has watched major investments move north," he said in a statement. "Relocating the Mavericks from Downtown to North Dallas would continue a pattern that many residents believe has contributed to economic disparities across our city."
Johnson plans to hold a press conference Wednesday morning about these concerns and to ask the Mavericks to stay in downtown.
“We should be strengthening Downtown Dallas, not weakening it,” Johnson said. “The future of our city depends on maintaining a strong downtown that works for everyone.”
The Dallas Morning News reported that the Mavericks executed option agreements to purchase around 104 acres of the 110-acre former site of Valley View Mall on Monday.
Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts previously said the team was approached about the City Hall property more than a year ago. Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert later confirmed meeting with both the Mavericks and Dallas Stars about their futures in the city.
While the team had eyed either a downtown location or the Valley View site, it is not clear where in downtown the team would have relocated. Welts previously told The News that there was "no project to talk about until the city would signal to us that there’s something to talk about" regarding taking over the City Hall site.
Council Member Adam Bazaldua said in a statement that it was great news that the team would stay in the city limits and develop on a site that had been vacant "for far too long."
Bazaldua, who has been supportive of staying at the current City Hall building, added thanks to the team for listening to "the clear consensus" of Dallas residents.
"This is why diligent leadership doesn’t count chickens before they hatch, as demonstrated by some Council Members’ willingness to make a generational decision for an organization that hadn’t yet decided on their new stadium location," Bazaldua said in the statement.
The debate on the future of City Hall has split residents and council members on whether to keep and repair the current building or sell the property and relocate.
Council members in support of staying will have to weigh the cost of addressing years of deferred maintenance on the building.
A new repair study estimates it could cost around $530 million over a six and a half year phased approach or up to $610 million over a ten year plan. Those costs will be briefed on Wednesday.
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