Mavs relocation interest reflects booming growth in McKinney, Prosper, Collin County

If the Mavericks leave downtown Dallas for land near the north side of the metro, the first pressure point for Collin County households will not be the arena itself but the roads, property values and development fights that follow it. The team’s option agreements for about 104 acres at the former Valley View Mall site put the spotlight on the same U.S. 75 and Dallas North Tollway corridor that is already absorbing some of North Texas’ fastest growth.

Collin County’s population estimate reached 1,297,179 on July 1, 2025, up 21.7% from the 2020 Census base. Prosper climbed even faster, with an estimated 45,605 residents in 2025, a 51.2% jump since 2020. That kind of growth is why cities from McKinney to Prosper are positioning themselves around every new major employer, entertainment project and highway connection they can get.

The county has been building for this for years. Collin County Outer Loop Segment 3C officially opened Nov. 7, 2025, creating a new east-west link between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. 75. County officials have said the full 53-mile Outer Loop is intended to support regional mobility, economic development and future lane expansion, with links planned to IH 35, US 377, SH 289, SH 121, US 380 and IH 30. If a new Mavericks arena comes north, those corridors will carry more of the traffic, retail demand and housing pressure that usually follows a major venue.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson captured the new suburban competition bluntly, saying, “the wolf is up the tollway.” Dallas City Council members have argued for keeping the Mavericks in the city, but the team’s plan points to a broader shift in North Texas business geography, where land at the edge of the metro can look more attractive than older sites closer to downtown. The American Airlines Center, which opened in 2001, would lose a primary anchor tenant after the Mavericks’ lease expires in 2031 if the team moves on time for the 2031-32 season.

For households in McKinney, Prosper and nearby neighborhoods, the stakes run beyond civic pride. More arena-related spending could lift demand for nearby apartments, retail pads and single-family homes along the growth corridors, while also adding to the need for roads, intersections and public services. McKinney is already chasing destination-scale development, including a $200 million surf-and-adventure project projected to generate more than $2 billion in economic impact over 20 years. The Mavericks’ interest fits that same northward pull, where the next big development decision is increasingly being made just a few exits up the tollway.