Last night, Tempe City Council unanimously approved a development plan for a $2.1 billion project that would include a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes. The next step will be a special election on May 16, 2023, when the public will have their say on the proposed project.
Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez released the following statement:
It starts with gratitude tonight — Thanking the city council and thanking the city staff for all of their incredible hard work. It’s about being able to touch every person in this city, in this community — that is our community — and starting with that by letting them know it is our community, to let them know just how incredible this is.
While this does not guarantee a new rink for the Coyotes, who are currently sharing a building with Arizona State University, it is another massive step toward one. A permanent facility in Tempe would be a significant win for a franchise that has struggled with attendance and sponsorship for years, partly due to an out-of-the-way rink in Glendale.
At the meeting, owner Alex Meruelo also directly addressed one rumor, telling those in attendance (which included Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports) that he would not be selling the team to Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets. Fertitta has expressed an interest in owning an NHL team in the past.
Notably, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly were at the City Council meeting, showing support for the Coyotes’ plan. The commissioner has been a staunch supporter of keeping the team in Arizona for years but was also very vocal that a new home – one not in Glendale – was required.
Good news. Now let us hear from the seething Canadians who were hoping the Yotes would move to their barren frozen tundra.
Who gets to vote on this? Just Tempe? Just Maricopa? All of AZ?
@forwhomjoshbelltolled—The way I’m reading the NHL.com article, it appears to be a Tempe-only special election next spring (May 16th, 2023).
It’ll pass if it’s just Tempe voting.
Wild. The Yotes would finally have a building that’s not ancient or just a ruse to build a shopping mall in the middle of nowhere or a college shack.
@forwhomjoshbelltolled—After the recent election fix-jobbing in AZ, I’m not so sure if it’ll be a slam-dunk vote in favor of the new ice barn. Plus, they have a lot of cleanup work ahead of them. ‘The Coyotes would invest $2.1 billion in private funds for the arena project “without raising taxes or using current city revenues by issuing public infrastructure bonds sold to private investors,” according to the proposal.’ That particular statement will help tremendously, *if* the team follows through. They’ll be enjoying the mini sticks barn for a few years, until the anticipated unveiling down the road.
Exactly…
Even if the Coyotes lose, they can just claim without any evidence that they won even when it’s obvious that they did not.
“election fix-jobbing”? Please elaborate…
When you have ballot machines that can’t read the ballots (did no one test the equipment prior to election day?) and counted ballots put into the same duffel bag as uncounted ballots all happening in just one county that seems to always have issues, one might say you have voting “irregularities”.
As for this new arena vote, what happens if it gets voted down? Houston, here we come?
“Because it is currently a landfill…” are words that make you roll your eyes. That doesn’t sound like a vacant stadium site, as was smartly suggested by another forum member here. After looking at the map, it should be reassuring to Ky-Yoots fans that Arizona Firearms is just a short drive south, so you can take out your frustrations after losing another game due to 3 or 4 goals being disallowed. No need to waste good beer or D-cells on the ice.
Cool.
@SnowflakeAlert—The proximity to Arizona Firearms (just in case)? ;)
As someone who once worked on a campaign for a publicly financed arena, I caution Tempe voters to know exactly what the contingency and operating costs are and make sure you’re getting back ALL of the non-hockey-related revenue you can.
@Tribucks—Imagine the crap storm if they try to word it in a way that just screams, “Corruption!” No more “broken” ballot tabulators on that one, either.
@Mac – But if you drive over to the neighboring county, they might let you use their tabulater…..and then put it in Duffle bag #3 to be counted at a later date. ;)
(smirks) Hell, they’re not even playing to capacity in the band box, according to the league’s figures.
But heck, if Tempe taxpayers want to pay large sums out of their own pockets to benefit a billionaire, it’s their lookout.