NHL Coyotes Ownership And Phoenix Airport Spar Over Tempe Arena Plans

The hockey business is planning to build a Tempe arena-village.

The National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes ownership has a problem with the operators of Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. The airport officials claim that if the hockey business goes ahead and is able to develop an arena-village in Tempe, it will be financially harmful to the airport. There is just one major airport in Phoenix, Sky Harbor, whether the hockey business builds an arena and subsequent village near the airport should not have financial impact. People will drive to the airport, whether it’s in their car and paying for parking or a driving service, people will go to the only major airport in Phoenix. People will buy food and other items at airport shops, again Sky Harbor Airport is the only airport in town. The Phoenix Aviation Board contends the construction of the proposed Arizona Coyotes arena in Tempe would cause numerous delays and losses of millions of dollars.

In April, Jordan Feld, Phoenix’s deputy aviation director, said information given to the airport by the hockey business’s development team, construction cranes used to build structures might cause airlines to demand to take off from the north runway to avoid the project, which could lead to delays and up to a $21 million loss for the airport. But that $21 million fee might be exaggerated because the airport is not doing that type of business and the losses would more than likely be around $3 million annually during construction. It is very difficult to tell just how close the hockey’s business’s plan to develop the Tempe property is proceeding. The business is hoping to get the land from Tempe city elected officials and has brought in the Oak View Group, an arena developer and marketing group to help the franchise with its move to Arizona State University 5,000 set Tempe hockey arena. Tempe wanted a sports franchise.

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