Tempe council pushes Coyotes arena to public vote

By Lindsay Walker
Mail | Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Tempe residents will likely get the chance to weigh in on the much-discussed Tempe Entertainment District after the Tempe City Council has approved portions of the plan. 

The council approved aspects of the project, which is set to include an arena, multifamily housing, retail and office space, in a 7-0 vote during a public meeting on Nov. 29. The spot currently serves as a city landfill. 

The Arizona Coyotes must now collect petition signatures to send the vote to the ballot by May 16, 2023.  The hockey team is seeking a new home after ending its agreement with the city of Glendale earlier this year. The Coyotes currently call the ASU Mullett Arena home.

Full details about the project and the approved formal agreement between the city and developer are at tempe.gov/TempeEntertainmentDistrict. 

Mayor Corey Woods praised the city staff and experts for their work on the proposal, as well as the many public and neighborhood meetings held regarding the development. Those followed months of negotiations between the city, Bluebird Development, the Meruelo Group and the Coyotes. 

“The vote this evening will give the residents in this city an unprecedented opportunity to weigh in and let us know what their feelings are about this,” he said. “The reality is after looking at this for a long time…my perspective really is what has been put together here is the best entertainment/arena deal that has been put together in the history of this state.”

The council has approved a Zoning Map Amendment and a Planned Area Development Overlay, a General Plan Amendment, and the Development and Disposition Agreement as a result of the Tuesday night vote. A spot has been reserved on the May 2023 Special Election ballot for the project, as required by state law. 

The project has seen much debate over several months, including concerns from residents about additional traffic and complaints from the city of Phoenix that apartments will be built in the middle of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport flight path, which is in violation of an agreement between Phoenix and Tempe. Tempe officials have said they don't believe the project goes against the agreement. 

Despite this, Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez celebrated the news. 

“The Arizona Coyotes and the Meruelo family are deeply thankful to the Tempe City Council for their unanimous support and cannot wait to move forward on this transformational development,” he said in a statement following the vote. “The Tempe Entertainment District will be a huge win for this community, and we have no doubt that Tempe voters will agree. Our project will turn a landfill into a landmark - and one that not only provides a wonderful home for the Coyotes but also serves as a vibrant town square for Tempe, generating thousands of sustainable jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue for the city.”