The Arizona Coyotes took another step Thursday night toward their goal to build a new amphitheater in Tempe, eventually settling there permanently.
Although there is still a long way to go, the team leadership has responded enough to questions from citizens and local officials to get permission to speak to the city council.
Coyotes players were also present to accept the grievances of official Sky Harbor airport representatives serving in Tempe, in addition to the concerns of a hundred citizens who came to testify.
Another batch of 220 statements written by residents were also reviewed there during the eight -hour long hearing.
What’s next?
Now that permission has been given to negotiate with the Coyotes, they can now enter what they hope will be the final stage leading up to securing a new permanent home.
Not just wind. It’s concrete with numbers on paper, said Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez. This includes everything that has already been put on the table. This is a continuation of the review done on behalf of the City and our response to certain aspects.
The Coyotes have been looking for a new permanent home since the City of Glendale stopped a 15-year, $ 225 million lease signed in 2015.
Glendale chose not to renew the deal after the 2021-2022 season. Since then, the Coyotes have found a temporary home within the walls of Arizona State University’s 5,000 -seat new arena where they will move when the next campaign opens.
Indirect public funds
The NHL organization had already taken a big step toward securing a new home on June 2, when the Tempe City Council approved a $ 2 billion real estate development project, including an entertainment district, residential units and a new arena.
The Coyotes presented to the City a 90-page document for it. The parties have already begun talks that include the Sky Harbor airport and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerns over the proximity of the future amphitheater to one of the airstrips.
Gutierrez and the Coyotes want to have an agreement to use the 46-acre land by the end of the year, though they know it could take longer.
The Coyotes plan to finance the project with private funds and hope they can get the land from the municipality.
In return, the organization wants to benefit from a portion of the sales tax generated by this project and cover the amount of the savings bonds with the sole guarantee of the value of the land and the real estate developments there.
The Coyotes have launched their season ticket sales campaign for the 2022-23 season, but Gutierrez said the team is not yet ready to reveal details.
Since the Coyotes will play their next three seasons on the Arizona State University campus, the latter plans to offer 500 free tickets for each game to students.
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
