NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated Thursday his support for the entertainment complex project that would allow the Arizona Coyotes to stay in Tempe.
“For 25 years, no one can doubt the NHL’s dedication to Arizona because we believe it’s a place where the hockey should be, on a permanent basis,” Bettman said at the conference. press. “Being part of this beautiful community is, in our opinion, a way to grow our sport and ultimately, we are in a position to be able to ensure the future of the Coyotes. We’re not just doing it for the team and its fans, but for the whole community. Calling Tempe home is the answer to all the problems we’ve had for the past few years. »
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Ballots for Propositions 301, 302 and 303, which might allow the entertainment complex to sit on the current landfill site, will be mailed to Tempe citizens beginning April 19.
“(Coyotes owner) Alex Meruelo and his team laid out a visionary plan for what is now a toxic dumping ground and he’s showing incredible commitment by saying ‘I’m going to do this on my own, not asking the taxpayers to fund the project,” Bettman boasted. We will build a state-of-the-art amphitheater and have a training facility that will help improve the community of Tempe. It will create jobs. It will create an even better identity for the beautiful city that Tempe already is.
The complex project, first proposed in September 2021, includes a 16,000-seat amphitheater, a training surface, two hotels, shops, 1,600 accommodations, a performance hall and a sports betting house. The Coyotes estimate that the advent of the project will cost $13.1 billion (an annual average of $435 million over more than 30 years).
“Everything is so good regarding this project and this amphitheater! It’s definitely something the Coyotes needed and honestly, I can’t find a downside to it. Yes, it’s still very rhetorical, but it’s promising if we look at the basics of the project and the commitments of the League, in a situation where we might very well have decided that we are leaving this region. It’s all the more so when you look at the commitments that Alex Meruelo has already made in the surrounding area, what he has already done for Tempe and what he is regarding to do. I can’t see why that would be a bad idea. »
In November, the city council of Tempe had voted unanimously in favor of a referendum allowing citizens to decide on the realization of the project.
“This is where we’ve played for the past year,” said Coyotes director of hockey development and former captain Shane Doan. “As a player, I was proud to play for the Coyotes. I am now equally proud to work within the organization with Mr. Merulo, his family and the rest of the team. »
The Coyotes played their home games at Mullett Arena in 2022-23, an amphitheater on the campus of Arizona State University. They will also be there until 2024-25, with the option to extend until 2025-26.
“The vote on Propositions 301, 302 and 303 will have an incredible impact not only for us, but also for our community,” Doan said. I have two children who live here in Tempe and we are touched by the project. It will turn the landfill into a place that everyone can enjoy. It’s encouraging that the city council is on our side.
“This is a great growth opportunity for Tempe! »
Bettman added that “when the project is complete, the team will never move. She will be in Tempe forever. And it will be another chapter in the success story of the Meruelo family, the NHL and Tempe. »
