Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego does not support spending taxpayer money on Arizona Coyotes Arena or other sports arenas in the city, a spokesperson said in a statement. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports.
This is the first statement the city has made regarding the Coyotes and their ongoing acquisition of land for a new arena in northeast Phoenix.
“Mayor Gallego had a fruitful meeting with (owner) Alex Meruelo and his family several weeks ago regarding Mr. Meruelo’s plans to participate in a state-owned land auction and, if successful, develop the site in north Phoenix. “We talked about it,” a Gallego spokesperson said. Ariel Devorah said.
“While the mayor believes professional hockey can thrive in the desert, he has also made it clear that he does not support spending taxpayer funds, including property tax relief, on sports arenas.”
The statement follows a June 27 auction for land in northeast Phoenix where Meruelo hopes to build a hockey arena suitable for the home of an NHL team after the Coyotes relocate to Utah after the season. The story revolves around Mr. Meruelo’s plan to make a successful bid.
The Phoenix property is located at the northwest corner of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road near Desert Ridge Marketplace.
The Coyotes said the development will include a 17,000-seat arena and a 150,000-square-foot practice facility.
It will also feature a live music theater concert venue that can accommodate 3,000 attendees, 400,000 square feet of retail, and a multipurpose watch party plaza with extra-large screens for event viewing. The area will be covered by a 170,000-square-foot canopy that extends from the arena to the theater.
As part of the team sale agreement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman gave the Coyotes five years to secure land and an arena.
Meruelo agreed to sell the team after securing the contractual right to restart the franchise within five years of the contract date and trigger the expansion draft if an arena is built. If that happens, he will have to repay Ryan Smith the $1 billion he received in the sale.
