Xavier Gutierrez said that relocation of the Coyotes will be on the table if the organization is unable to win the auction for land in northeast Phoenix.
The Arizona Coyotes announced their potential plan to build an arena in northeast Phoenix and commitment to winning this 95-acre parcel of land through an auction that will take place on June 27.
Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez made clear that it’s either the team wins this auction or fails and will be forced to look at possible relocation.
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“This is it, this is the plan or else we have to explore relocation of this organization,” Gutierrez said via ABC15 Arizona. “We have made that very clear and I think everyone should be made aware that this is it.”
This is the first time that we really even hear the organization talking about relocation of the franchise, so it’s a huge deal.
The Coyotes’ plan to build a sports and entertainment district in Tempe was rejected last May and now they are attempting one last plan to try and keep professional hockey in Arizona.
The Coyotes’ new proposed arena would have 17,000 fixed seats for NHL games and capacity for roughly 1,500 additional temporary seats for non-hockey events, a 150,000-square-foot practice facility and headquarters, a live music theater for 3,000 concertgoers, 400,000 square feet of retail and a multi-purpose watch party plaza equipped with a supersized screen for viewing events.
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These development plans also include approximately 1,900 luxury residential units, 400,000 square feet of class-A office space, branded retail, dining, bars, farmer’s market, dog park, multiple parking structures and other gathering spaces.
Gutierrez believes that northeast Phoenix is the perfect place for the Coyotes to build a permanent home.
“There are so many things,” Gutierrez said on why northeast Phoenix is enticing. “You are talking about being right smack in the middle of the corporate headquarters, the population growth…”
With so much at stake, it seems that Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is willing to go all in to make sure the Coyotes secure this piece of land and start the construction of a new arena.
“Alex Meruelo is committed to buying this land because he knows this is the option, and let's be clear, everyone should understand, there are major ramifications of this organization and this club not being here in Arizona if we do not win that,” Gutierrez said