The bargaining has begun.
The Arizona Coyotes National Hockey League franchise has advanced in the arena game playoffs and is now negotiating with members of the Tempe City Council with the end game being an arena-village being built on some city-owned property. Arizona ownership claims it is willing to spend $2 billion in the complex that would include an arena that will be used by the NH: team and possibly the Arizona State University basketball team. There could be a hotel, some retail space, offices and housing. There more than likely will also be a sportsbook somewhere within the grounds. There is opposition from nearby Sky Harbor Airport and from some people from Phoenix who don’t really count.
In 2021, elected officials in Tempe put out a Request For Proposal to develop a parcel within the city with the NHL team in mind. Arizona ownership was the only group to submit a proposal. Tempe officials wanted a sports stadium or an arena and a practice facility on the property. They wanted a team owner to create a stadium or an arena village that would include 1,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of retail space, and a large plaza with amenities. Name recognition for Tempe and an opportunity for Tempe public service announcements. The RFP seemed to be written for the hockey franchise. The hockey team was the only group that responded to the Request For Proposal. The Arizona franchise has moved out of Glendale, a community west of Phoenix that built an arena for the team which opened in 2003 and ended up being a financial failure for both the team and city. The team is relocating to a 5,000-seat arena in Tempe that is being built for the Arizona State University hockey program. The NHL allowed the transfer of the Winnipeg franchise to Phoenix in 1996.
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