Arizona Coyotes Cleared to Negotiate on $1.9B Arena, Mini-City in Tempe

The Arizona Coyotes may one day graduate from playing on a university campus.

Tempe’s city council voted 5-2 on Thursday to continue negotiations with the team on a $1.9 billion entertainment district centered on a new 16,000-seat arena.

• The vote does not signal full approval of the project but allows the two sides to continue negotiations.
• The team told council members the team would invest $1.7 billion in the project, which would create almost 7,000 new jobs.
• The proposal includes securing $200 million in public infrastructure bonds, which would be sold to private investors. 

The team is looking to build on a former garbage dump and said it would have to remediate and remove 1.5 million tons of trash.

The Coyote’s current lease for Glendale’s Gila River Arena expires this month, and the team has made arrangements to play the next three seasons at Arizona State University.

From Dump to Mini-City

Like many new stadium and arena projects, the Coyotes are planning for much more than a sports venue.

The team has laid out designs for a 200-room hotel, retail, and restaurant locations, as well as 1,680 residential units.

The project has faced opposition from the city of Phoenix and nearby Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, mostly for its inclusion of residential units.