Two Major Dallas Sports Teams Are Leaving Downtown in Five Years, Changing Local Business

NHL's Dallas Stars and NBA's Dallas Mavericks both announced they will be moving to different arenas, leaving American Airlines Center in downtown.

The Stars announced a non-binding letter of intent for a new arena and mixed-use development at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano. The Mavericks also announced their move to the former Valley View Mall site in North Dallas.

The two teams have shared the American Airlines Center since its opening in 2001. Once each team's lease ends in 2031, they will both be moving to new sites, leaving downtown in the dust.

The Plano City Council will discuss the Stars' move on Monday, as the team awaits approval.

“This project would present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our franchise,” Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said in a statement. “We eagerly await the vote by the Plano City Council and look forward to continuing the conversation to be part of the redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend.”

Many have raised questions about the move. The Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers have already moved out to the suburbs, both in Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth. Now that the Mavericks are moving to North Dallas and the Stars out to Plano, downtown will lose the two Dallas sports teams as a major attraction point.

Businesses owners in Victory Park, near American Airlines Center, look to adjust once that shift happens.

"No Mavs, no Stars. I think will definitely do some damage to them," Cary Thompson, who owns Velour in Victory Park, told FOX 4. "But, you know, it just allows you to pivot from what you were doing to doing something different that's more profitable, possibly."

As the downtown landscape changes in the coming years, Dallas and the suburbs surrounding will see a shift in business as teams become more sprawled out across the metroplex.