Both ownerships are looking for a new venue.
The owners of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks franchise are looking to move into a new arena in about five or six years. The owners of the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars franchise are looking to move into a new arena in about five or six years. The city of Dallas arena just won’t cut it as the 21st century moves into its middle age. If both ownerships are looking to leave their present building why are they suing one another about who controls the building? In 1999, the owners of both franchises signed an agreement, giving them an even split of control over the arena and its operations. The Stars and Mavericks combination shared ownership through two companies, Center Operating Company, L.P., which leases and operates the arena, and Center GP, LLC, which manages that partnership.
The Mavericks ownership is of the opinion that the agreement stipulated both teams must keep their corporate headquarters and practice facility inside Dallas city limits. If that was violated, the contract states that the other team could buy out the other’s ownership of the companies that operated the building. Stars ownership moved the team’s headquarters to Frisco in 2003. Stars ownership said the Mavericks’ lawsuit “is nothing short of a hostile takeover of the management of the building. Their lawsuit seeks to marginalize the Dallas Stars to the role of a mere tenant and, ultimately, drive the team out of Dallas.” Mavericks ownership wants to permanently block the Stars owners from interfering in arena operations. Additionally, the Mavericks ownership is seeking damages for the harm to their reputation, financial losses and attorney fees. Mavericks ownership wants to permanently block the Stars owners from interfering in arena operations. Both ownerships want to go their separate ways. But before they leave the Dallas building in 2031, they will be bickering.
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