In an ongoing quest to find a new home of operations, the Arizona Coyotes ice hockey team has announced plans to build a massive $1.7 billion arena and surrounding entertainment district in north Phoenix.
The project will go up near the intersection of Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive and will include office space and a practice rink.
The announcement comes nearly a year after voters in Tempe rejected three separate proposals calling for the construction of a combined Coyotes arena and entertainment district in that city.
In a statement, Alex Merulo, Arizona Coyotes chairman, remarked that the team was committed to completing a project that “will incur the cost of more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements, with no burden placed on taxpayers.”
The new arena will have a seating capacity of 17,000 and will additionally see the construction of a 3,500-seat theater, up to 400,000 square feet of retail space, and a 150,000-square-foot practice facility.
Plans additionally call for the building of around 1,900 residential units, a dog park, and multiple parking structures.
One uncertain aspect of the project, however, is the fact that the Coyotes do not currently own the 110 acres upon which they are planning to build their new home.
The property currently belongs to the Arizona State Land Department and will be subject to an auction scheduled for June 29. A minimum bid of $68.5 million is being asked by the Land Department.
Arizona Coyotes officials have expressed confidence that they will secure the land via the auction.
In a statement, Xavier Gutierrez, Arizona Coyotes president, said he believes construction on the big project can launch by next spring, adding: “We hope to drop the puck in the fall of 2027.”
Once completed, the arena and entertainment district will comprise the first fully privately funded sports facility of its kind in Arizona.
By Garry Boulard