Tempe City Council votes 5–2 to begin negotiations with the Arizona Coyotes on new arena proposal
After a long day of presentations, speeches, and deliberations, Tempe City Council voted 5–2 on Thursday night in favor of moving forward in negotiations with the Arizona Coyotes on their proposed arena development project.
Thursday’s “yes” vote does not mean the Coyotes and Tempe have reached a confirmed deal. Instead, it indicates Tempe is interested in continuing discussions with the team on its $1.7-billion arena and entertainment district proposal.
The Coyotes seek to develop two parcels of land adjacent to the Salt River that currently house a compost yard. Team owner Alex Meruelo has pledged $40 million in non-refundable cash to remediate the site prior to construction starting on the privately funded 16,000-seat arena.
In addition to the arena, the Coyotes’ proposed entertainment district in Tempe would include a hotel, multiple shops and restaurants, and 1,680 residential units. While the Coyotes have pledged to finance the construction of the arena, the team also seeks $200 million in city sales tax revenue to address additional costs.
Current Coyotes forwards Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Christian Fischer attended Thursday’s session in Tempe, with Keller delivering a speech to city council.
“As a first-round draft pick in 2016, since then I’ve played six seasons for the Coyotes,” Keller said. “I speak for myself, my family, and my teammates when we say we love living here and being a part of this community.”
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman, Coyotes alumnus and executive Shane Doan, and Olympian hockey player Lyndsey Fry also spoke in support of the project during the session.
City council heard numerous speeches from members of the public, most of whom expressed support for the Coyotes’ proposal. Representatives from the Sky Harbor International Airport, located near the site in Tempe, voiced their objections to the residential aspect of the project.
After Thursday’s vote, the Coyotes posted a video to Twitter showcasing renderings of the entertainment district they hope to build in Tempe:
We’re moving forward with the City of Tempe on our proposed arena development project.
Take a look at what we hope to build. pic.twitter.com/7sSZBujGuA
The Coyotes’ tenure at their longtime home rink, Gila River Arena, will officially end on June 30 after the City of Glendale elected to opt out of its lease agreement with the team last summer. Glendale, located roughly nine miles northwest of Phoenix, has hosted the Coyotes since 2003.
Earlier this year, the Coyotes came to terms on a deal with Arizona State University to play out of its brand-new 5,000-seat arena for three seasons, with an option for a fourth.
While the Coyotes will begin playing out of the ASU multi-purpose arena in the 2022–23 season, the team remains in search of a permanent home and has set its sights on Tempe, which lies just east of Phoenix.
The Coyotes were the only entity to respond to the City of Tempe’s request for proposal (RFP) last year regarding the 46-acre site, located at the northwest corner of East Rio Salado Parkway and South Priest Drive.
Tempe has not hosted any major professional sports teams since the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals played out of Sun Devil Stadium at ASU campus from 1988 to 2005.