Arizona Coyotes in talks with Tempe on new arena, signaling possible move to East Valley
Paulina Pineda, Arizona Republic
The Arizona Coyotes are in talks with Tempe to relocate the hockey franchise from Glendale to the East Valley, according to sources close to the city.
Tempe issued a request for proposal Thursday to attract a professional sports franchise and a developer that will build an arena and entertainment center on a narrow strip of city-owned land near Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway.
The land, on the southern banks of the
dry Salt River just west of Tempe Town Lake, currently houses the city’s public works and compost yard. The land is viewed as prime real estate in the center of metro Phoenix but would require environmental remediation.
The Coyotes —
owned by billionaire Alex Meruelo since 2019 — confirmed that the team will submit a proposal to develop the land.
The Coyotes said in a statement that the team is “highly interested” in the opportunity because of the site’s location....