The City of Irving has taken its first step towards potentially building a new arena that could house the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Morning News reports that Irving City Council will consider a rezoning application that relates to a 182-acre plot of land near to where Texas Stadium used to be located.
The land is majority-owned by an entity linked to Las Vegas Sands Corp, a casino and resort company whose majority shareholder is Miriam Adelson – who acquired a controlling stake in the Mavericks at the start of 2024. The deal was worth a reported $3.5bn (£2.75bn/€3.33bn).
Adelson acquired the majority stake from Mark Cuban, who bought the Mavericks in 2000 and remains in charge of on-court operations. Cuban is aiming to build a new state-of-the-art arena for the Mavericks, with the team’s current lease at American Airlines Center (pictured) set to expire in 2031.
Adelson acquired the stake alongside Sivan and Patrick Dumont – the latter of whom is Adelson’s son-in-law and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands.
The Dallas Morning News notes that new zoning charges would create a “high-intensity mixed-use area” that could include an arena with a minimum capacity of 15,000 seats. The rezoning would also allow the construction of an indoor theatre with a minimum capacity of 4,000.
On Thursday, Irving City Council members voted 8-1 in favour of sending the amendments to Irving Planning & Zoning, which will consider the matter on March 17. A council vote could take place later that week.
In a statement released to The Dallas Morning News, Las Vegas Sands spokesperson Ron Reese said: “As large-scale developers it’s paramount we engage with local stakeholders in an effort to unlock the maximum economic benefit possible should future development take place.”
Adelson is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and is one of the richest women in the world with an estimated $32.3bn in wealth. Adelson has been active in her pursuit to bring casino gambling to Texas, most notably with a $2m investment into political action committee Texas Sands in 2023.
The old Texas Stadium served as the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys but was demolished in 2010 after the team moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The Mavericks have played at American Airlines Center since 2001. The team shares the arena with the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
