Tempe Column
By Lee Shappell
Wranglernews.com Executive Editor
I’s no secret that Arizona’s NHL hockey team has been skating on thin ice in Glendale for some time.
The Coyotes have been on a year-to-year lease at Gila River Arena since the city pulled the plug on a long-term arrangement five years ago.
Since then, the Coyotes have rattled their sabers about moving, gauging interest of East Valley municipalities – most notably Tempe and Scottsdale – in helping them land a new home much closer to the bulk of their fan base, which is not crazy about driving to Glendale a couple of nights a week to watch games.
Tempe listened carefully. It owns side-by-side parcels totaling 46 acres just south of the Salt River, at Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive, that it deems “underutilized.”
Before Tempe could begin to formalize any arena plans with any entity, it had to put out a request for proposal. That went out in late July with an August deadline for response, which eventually was extended by two weeks. The RFP terms were Coyotes-friendly, and so it was no surprise on Sept. 2 when the RFP deadline finally passed that a developer working with the Coyotes, Bluebird Development, LLC, was the only respondent.
The Coyotes confirmed it in a statement that read, in part, “We are pleased to have submitted a proposal to the City of Tempe. As regulations surrounding the RFP process dictate, we cannot comment any further at this time, but we remain incredibly excited about this extraordinary opportunity.”
Alex Meruelo, the billionaire who bought the team two years ago, says he prefers to keep it in the Valley.
It didn’t take Glendale long after the Tempe news broke to terminate the team’s lease after the 2021-22 season, meaning that, come spring, the Coyotes could go perhaps three or four years without a permanent home – and that’s if it can come to terms relatively quickly with Tempe on the massive project. “Relatively quickly” could be several months. It then could take three years in a best-case scenario to build the sports arena and entertainment district with 1,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of retail space as well as public space with other amenities – although several sources say a signed contract by year’s end would be no surprise.
That might be the easy part, because:
- The site would require cleanup before any construction can begin. It is unclear how long that could take.
- Before the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL settled on a new stadium in Glendale next door to the hockey arena, it proposed a stadium in the general neighborhood of the proposed hockey project. Phoenix slapped it down, saying it was too close to the flight path at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. It is not known if Phoenix has given any assurance that it would agree to the Tempe location for a hockey arena, or if another battle looms.
- And then, there are the taxpayers. How much of the project would be funded by the hockey team and developer, and how much, if any, by the residents – like those who live in our South Tempe neighborhoods? At least one Tempe activist, Ron Pies, in a letter to the editor of Wrangler News, urged the city to step away and not get sucked into a deal that could cost it millions.
When Glendale pulled the plug on the Coyotes, team president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez released a statement, saying, “We are hopeful that they will reconsider a move that would primarily damage the small businesses and hard-working citizens of Glendale. We remain open to restarting good-faith negotiations with the City.
“Most importantly, the Coyotes are one hundred percent committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona, and nothing will shake our determination to do what is right for our organization, residents of the entire Valley and, most important, our fans.”
For that to happen, a Tempe panel, which could be aided by a third-party consultant, first will vet the Coyotes/Bluebird RFP response, looking at such things as economic impact, job creation, public benefit, neighborhood considerations and traffic impact.
The vetting team then will make a recommendation to Tempe City Council whether to move forward or not.
If the Council agrees to enter into exclusive negotiations, that would trigger what could be another lengthy process to reach a Development and Disposition Agreement.
Finally, if a DDA is successfully negotiated, City Council would vote in a public meeting to accept or reject it.
The Coyotes could be in downtown Phoenix or at Veterans Memorial Coliseum for several years while that plays out. Who knows? Perhaps Glendale will come back to the table with a short-term lease to keep the team. Or, in a worst-case pickle, it might be none of the above. Then what?
Either way, the ice on which the Coyotes skate isn’t getting any thicker. If the Tempe deal falls through, their future in the Valley could go with it.
Coyotes
DONT DO THIS TEMPE. We dont take teams away from another city, who have invested millions in taxpayer dollars in a facility for the team. I have no idea how much in Tempe tax dollars the team is asking us to commit. But, my guess is that it’s is in the tens of millions, if not much more . Let me guess, they have economic impact studies that show that they will bring billions to Tempe. My guess is that they will list many “indirect benefits”, which are of questionable value. That and probably, a promise to pay Tempe back in many many years. For those who want to remind me that Glendale “stole” the Cardinals, remember that they were using Sun Devil Stadium, a facility owned and operated by Arizona State University. Please review the attached article about Glendale’s experience.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.governing.com/archive/col-glendale-arizona-hockey-team-phoenix-coyotes-arena-lease.html%3f_amp=true
I ask our members of the Tempe City. Council to be very cautious. Dont let your ego or the pressure from billionaire owners or rabid fans affect your decision.
Quote from Dan Buckley Column
“But if NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants the Coyotes in Arizona, and if Alex Meruelo seduces Tempe city leaders with his proposal, our hockey team will find a way.”
COYOTE UPDATE (My opinion)
The suggestion has been made by either the media or the NHL Commissioner that. Lacking total personal financing, The Coyotes will try to “seduce” Tempe into some financing. In addition to insulting, I know the Tempe Council well. They will not be “seduced” by some smooth talking billionaire. Especially, if they hear from you with strong opposition.
I have also read that Tempe has been pursuing the Coyotes since 2019. That is not true. The Coyotes had a contract with Glendale. No city violates that kinds of situation.
My public opposition has led to comments from fans and supporters that the billionaire is privately financing the project. Does anyone believe that.
Folks, I need your help. If you agree that our city (or any city) should partner with a billionaire owner on this project, please let the Tempe City Council know. These are your tax dollars. We have substantial needs in our community. This is not one.
URGENT
I was an administrator with the City of Tempe for almost three decades. After retiring, we never left the community we loved. We have supported our city 99% of the time. But, I am very concerned about what has been taking place between Tempe and the Arizona Coyotes owner, Las Vegas Billionaire, Alex Meruelo. Unfortunately, health concerns prevent me from doing much about it. But, you, Tempe citizens can.
Democracy in Tempe .. or is The Fix In?
After years of secret meetings, the Tempe City Council will finally go public.
November 22 will be the first citizen meeting to unveil a massive project that Tempe citizens never asked for but will cost millions of our tax money.
The project was created by a Las Vegas billionaire Alex Meruelo, owner of the Arizona Coyotes. Then, in secret, it was tailor made into a Request for Proposals (RFP), by city staff, without citizens hearing one word about it.
But now, on November 29th, at only the second Council meeting on Mr. Meruelo’s project, Tempe’s elected officials will give the go ahead on something we citizens never asked for and don’t want.
How bad is this? Consider the following.
We have been issued documentation on the proposal. (See below)
ALL Two-Hundred and Three (203) pages.
All legal and technical language.
We have less than a week to review, digest, confer and respond. All this crammed into three meetings, a week apart, (DRC and two Council meetings) during the holidays.
This “cramming” is historic and unprecedented. Never has a project of this scale and controversy been rolled over Tempe taxpayers. Never.
This prime 46-acre parcel on Town Lake would have attracted any number of financially viable developers from reputable developers. But the Cities’ elected “leaders” refused to start over with a proper and more comprehensive RFP.. looks like the Fix Was In … months ago.
And… least we forget …the “negotiations” have been in the dark.. behind closed doors just with city staff and Mr. Meruelo.
It appears our elected leaders have become an appendage of this multi-million-dollar development machine and scheme.
Is the FIX in? … what are we to believe?
But there is a way taxpayers can stop this assault on our community. A petition campaign will be launched so Tempe can vote to say NO! during a special election. So now it is on us, the citizens of Tempe, to defend our City from this assault.
This, thankfully, will go to the voters of our City. But it will be a battle. We are up against a multimillion-dollar advertising forces.