Tempe City Council votes 7–0 in favor of proposed Arizona Coyotes arena, entertainment district

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
Tempe City Council votes 7–0 in favor of proposed Arizona Coyotes arena, entertainment district
Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Coyotes are one step closer to securing their new long-term home in the desert.

On Tuesday evening, Tempe City Council voted 7–0 in favor of the Coyotes’ proposed 16,000-seat arena and surrounding entertainment district. In its entirety, the project is expected to cost $2.1 billion.

The council vote indicates Tempe leadership’s view on the proposal. The next (and potentially final) step in the approval process is a referendum, with Tempe citizens expected to vote on the matter on May 16, 2023.

The Coyotes currently play at the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus. They seek to build their proposed entertainment district roughly two miles west of ASU at the northeast corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive.

The City of Tempe presented analysis during Tuesday’s council meeting suggesting taxpayers will be on the hook for $209–229 million in bonds to finance improvements to public infrastructure, such as remediating the future arena site (which currently serves as a compost yard), creating new roadways, and reinforcing the banks of the adjacent Salt River.

A host of Coyotes representatives — including owner Alex Meruelo, CEO Xavier Gutierrez, general manager Bill Armstrong, and longtime captain Shane Doan — spoke during Tuesday’s council session. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also attended and fielded questions from the media.

As part of his comments during the session, Bettman confirmed the Coyotes are willing to sign a 30-year non-relocation agreement if the proposal goes forward. He also said the league will bring a draft or an all-star game to the new Tempe arena.

The Coyotes previously played at Gila River Arena (now Desert Diamond Arena) in Glendale, a remote Phoenix suburb, from 2003 to 2022. The City of Glendale elected to terminate its lease agreement with the team on the eve of the 2021–22 season.

After the unanimous council vote, the Coyotes shared a statement on social media calling the proposed entertainment district a “huge win” for the community that will turn a “landfill into a landmark.”

The Coyotes (7–10–3) have played to sellout crowds in each of their first four games of the season at Mullett Arena. They’re currently in the midst of an NHL-record-tying 14-game road trip and will return to ASU — with NHL-standard dressing rooms finally built — to face the Boston Bruins on December 9.

Daily Faceoff at ASU:

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