Arizona Coyotes arena proposal in Tempe defeated by public vote

The Arizona Coyotes’ plans for a new arena and entertainment district in Tempe have been defeated by a local referendum.

With the release of the results from 29,153 ballots, the “No” campaign captured 56 percent of the votes on Propositions 301, 302, and 303, each of which would’ve had to pass for the Coyotes to win the special election.

The Coyotes played the 2022–23 regular season out of the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University. Prior to that, the club made the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale its home from 2003 to 2022.

After moving to Tempe in 2022, the Coyotes proposed a plan to city council to build a $2.1 billion entertainment district, with a 16,000-seat arena at its center, on the site of a toxic landfill along the Rio Salado Parkway in close proximity to ASU campus.

Although the project enjoyed unanimous support from Tempe city council and multiple former mayors, the public has rejected it in resounding fashion — and the future of the team is now in doubt.

The Coyotes have a standing three-year agreement with ASU, with an option for a fourth year, to play out of Mullett Arena. It’s unclear at this point where the club, owned by Latino billionaire Alex Meruelo, will turn with its long-term future hanging in the balance.

The club’s relationship with Glendale has likely been irreparably fractured. Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and located in downtown Phoenix, previously hosted the Coyotes in their infancy but has since been renovated to remove its capability to support a hockey team.

Another option is relocation, with long-debated markets including Houston, Portland, Kansas City, and Quebec City. These markets may come into play if the Coyotes are unable to secure a backup plan in Arizona — or if the NHL Players’ Association, now headed by Marty Walsh objects to the team continuing to play at Mullett Arena.

Either way, a “Yes” vote on Tuesday promised a clearer future for the Coyotes and their fans. After these results, more clouds are beginning to move in.