Arizona Coyotes' Arena Dreams Shattered: Uncertain Future Looms
Voters on Tuesday dealt a significant blow to the Arizona Coyotes by rejecting their proposal to construct a new arena in Tempe as part of a $2.1 billion entertainment district. The National Hockey League and the owners will evaluate the team in the next few weeks, and this evaluation will determine the future of the team.
The Coyotes' ambitious plan called for the construction of a 16,000-seat arena and an associated entertainment complex on a 46-acre plot of land near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport's Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive. In addition, the idea featured up to 1,995 residential flats, two hotels, and a 3,500-seat theater. The majority of the $2.1 billion project's financing, including at least $1.9 billion in private investment, was anticipated to come from private sources. The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and the Sahara in Las Vegas, both owned by Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, were examined as potential components of the project.
Due to the high expense of removing 1.5 million tons of garbage from the site, which came to $75 million, one of the project team's catchphrases was "Landfill to Landmark."
Voters were entrusted with passing Propositions 301, 302, and 303 in a special election in order to approve the Coyotes' project. Voters received their ballots in the mail on April 19 and had until May 9 to return them. On election day, there was also an option for in-person voting. Unfortunately for the Coyotes, the preliminary results showed that 56% of voters chose "no" on the three questions, signifying the proposal's rejection.
Although there was resistance to the Tempe arena idea, the project also had several well-known supporters. In November, the Tempe City Council voted unanimously to support the Coyotes' idea. Four previous mayors of Tempe, as well as the current mayor, Corey Woods, all backed the initiative. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, had offered the league's support for the endeavor. However, others opposed to the building highlighted a number of factors, including worries about the use of public funds, increased traffic, and potential uses for the land. The continuous legal fight Phoenix, Arizona, is pursuing against the proposed residential units in the district has further heightened the tense situation.
Since moving to Arizona in 1996 from Winnipeg, the ownership of the Arizona Coyotes has changed many times, creating instability. In 2009, the franchise was in financial trouble, which led to temporary NHL ownership. After the city council opted not to renew the lease on their previous arena, where they had previously played their home games in Phoenix, they relocated to Glendale in 2003. After that, the Coyotes focused on Tempe because it was nearer to their support base.
The Coyotes temporarily relocated to Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State, sharing the space with the Sun Devils' men's hockey club while waiting for clearance and construction of a permanent home in Tempe. Mullett Arena, which has the smallest capacity in the league and can only hold 5,000 fans for hockey games, and the NHL club have agreed to play up to four seasons of hockey there. To meet NHL requirements, the team spent $19.7 million upgrading training facilities and locker rooms. Despite the drawbacks of their temporary home, the Coyotes managed to perform better at home (21-15-5) than on the road (7-25-9) this season.
The Arizona Coyotes are in a difficult situation now that the Tempe arena plan has been rejected, and face an uncertain future. The organization's options are limited because there are no firm plans for a new facility. There have been rumors that the team would relocate to Houston, where the Toyota Center is a hockey-ready facility. Atlanta, Quebec City, Kansas City, and Salt Lake City have also been considered as additional potential locations. While the NHL and team owners weigh their options, it is unclear what exact action the Coyotes will take.
The results of the Tempe vote serve as a reminder of the difficulties the Coyotes franchise has encountered in Arizona. Fans are anxiously awaiting word of the team's next moves as they wait in uncertainty following the rejection of the arena idea. As the coyotes make their way through the hazy surroundings in search of a new facility, their future is in jeopardy.