Mavs CEO Reveals City Hall Arena Talks Began "Over a Year Ago"

The quiet courtship between the Dallas Mavericks and City Hall over the future of 1500 Marilla Street apparently predates any public vote—by more than a year, according to the team's own chief executive.

Mavericks CEO Rick Welts told a Greater Dallas Planning Council audience Friday that City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert initiated contact about the site well before the council weighed in. "City Manager Tolbert came to us and said, 'Look, I gotta move out of City Hall, I can't afford to operate what we do in that building, going forward for the taxpayers,'" Welts said. He added that the property represents "an opportunity to re-imagine the heart of our city."

Tolbert confirmed meetings with both the Mavericks and the Dallas Stars. "These discussions have included the teams' need for a modern fan-friendly arena experience," she said in a statement, adding, "It is our practice not to negotiate in the media."The disclosure raised eyebrows on the council. District 12 member Cara Mendelsohn questioned why the city manager approached the team without consulting elected officials first. "Billions of dollars at stake. This is not how representative government should work," she wrote on social media.

The council voted, 9-6, on March 4 to explore relocation options. Repair estimates for the I.M. Pei-designed building run as high as $1 billion. The Mavericks' arena decision is expected by July, with a 2031 opening target.