Scottsdale Mayor Opposes Proposed Coyotes Development

The Scottsdale Mayor is telling the Arizona Coyotes not to bring arena near his city.

Scottsdale Mayor David D. Ortega opposes the Arizona Coyotes’ plan to build an arena complex near the Phoenix/Scottsdale border and says the plan has several “negative repercussions” for his city, and that the project needs to move west away from Scottsdale.

Mayor Ortega strongly opposes a planned project that aims to relocate the Arizona Coyotes to a piece of land near the intersection of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road, which borders Scottsdale. Ortega stated in a detailed statement that he does not support the idea of an inexperienced developer attempting to purchase Arizona State Trust Land without any existing infrastructure on the Phoenix side of the 101/Scottsdale Road intersection, right at the entrance of Scottsdale. This land is situated in Phoenix, slightly to the west of Scottsdale Road, which serves as the boundary between Phoenix and Scottsdale in the area.

Just like their unsuccessful proposal in Tempe, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is aiming to construct an entertainment hub that would serve as the headquarters for the team.

The proposed blueprint for the property by the team consists of a stadium, a training center, a cinema, dining establishments, and residential buildings. It is projected to encompass 400,000 square feet of retail area and approximately 500,000 square feet of office space.

The State Land Department currently possesses the land, which has been evaluated at $68.5 million. It is scheduled to be auctioned in June, with the initial bid expected to be the same amount.

According to Ortega, the team’s plan for a combined entertainment and shopping complex is in close proximity to Scottsdale’s current retail offerings. Additionally, he notes that the Phoenix land lacks necessary infrastructure and the current roads in the vicinity are not equipped to handle the potential increase in traffic.

The Coyotes have detailed that the proposed project would require a budget of $3 billion, but in return, it is expected to contribute $10 billion in “economic activity” and create 10,000 employment opportunities for Maricopa County.

The CEO of the Coyotes has stated in past interviews that in the event of losing the land auction, the team would shift their attention towards exploring relocation opportunities beyond the state of Arizona.

Read Mayor Ortega’s full statement here:

“Last week, the Arizona Coyotes developer team, rolled out the same fantasy renderings used in the Tempe mega arena and mixed-use site proposal, which was resoundingly defeated at the ballot box.

The proposed Phoenix version, bordering Scottsdale, was presented without mention of market demand for a new entertainment venue disguised as a hockey arena, or congested highway access, or questionable arena zoning entitlement. And the glitzy proposal was portrayed as the last gasp to keep hockey in Arizona.

The prospect of a rookie developer attempting to buy Arizona State Trust Land with absolutely no infrastructure on the Phoenix side of the 101/Scottsdale Road intersection at the doorstep of Scottsdale is not feasible, or welcome.

Why? The dream Coyote retail components sit too close to the retail lions of Scottsdale. The Greater Scottsdale Airpark area commercial giants have infrastructure and access in Scottsdale. The bare Arizona State Trust Land at the edge of Phoenix has no frontage roads and water and sewer lie miles away to the west. And as a condition of sale, the 100 acres of property must develop entirely the 64th Street off ramp for access.

As Scottsdale councilman in 2000 and now as mayor, I have seen the inside dealings when the Coyotes suddenly left Scottsdale in 2002, and recently as they vacated their former home ice in Glendale in 2022. The team is struggling at Arizona State University Mullet Arena, at less than 90% capacity. And coincidentally, there is a new measure at the 2024 Arizona Legislature which would permit surcharges, an on-site sales tax to boost viability for an arena such as the Coyotes organization now proposes.

In March, Arizona State Land Department officials met in my office, and I pointed out that all Scottsdale Road improvements from the 101 north are entirely in our city. There is zero infrastructure west of Scottsdale Road. I demanded that infrastructure for the proposed site, including water and sewer, be pulled from Phoenix assets along 56th Street to the west. Scottsdale Water assets are absolutely not available.

Furthermore, I have demanded that the 64th Street – AZ Loop 101 north exit be built out to serve the area, again to the west of Scottsdale Road. At our meeting, the Arizona State Land Department agreed that these requirements will be bundled with any successful bid for the property. I also met with the mayor of Phoenix who confirmed that all utilities must be extended from 56th Street.

I admire the hockey sport, Arizona Coyotes community involvement and phenomenal youth clubs at the Scottsdale Ice Den. But I along with City of Scottsdale staff will continue to monitor any actions that occur, and negative repercussions for Scottsdale. As it stands today, the fantasy hockey project must move west, away from Scottsdale.”