An important step has been taken in the direction of building a new stadium for the Arizona Coyotes hockey team.
Members of the Tempe City Council voted 5 to 2 to officially enter negotiations with the team, with the new stadium most likely going up on a 46-acre site at the intersection of Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive.
As earlier proposed, the project will include not only the building of a new stadium, but also up to 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, not to mention a large, shaded plaza.
The council vote means that the City of Tempe will now join in talks with both the team as well as its development group, Bluebird Development LLC.
In a statement issued after the council vote, the Coyotes management said that members of that body have “recognized the incredible opportunity that this project presents, not only for the Coyotes but also for the City of Tempe.”
By Garry Boulard
