The Arizona State Land Department has officially posted a 95-acre parcel of land in northeast Phoenix for auction. This is the land that the Arizona Coyotes plan to pursue for their new arena. The auction date is set for June 27, with a minimum bid of $68.5 million. “My family and I are committed to winning this land auction and building a transformative entertainment district that will not require taxpayer funding for the first time in Arizona history,” Coyotes Chairman & Governor Alex Meruelo said. “We will buy this land, build this development and finish a project that will incur the cost of more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements with no burden placed on taxpayers.” 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. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucS8y8NxhOk[/embed] 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. The other potential bidders will not be made public until the day of the auction, so it’s still unclear whether or not the Coyotes will have any competition. Nothing is set in stone yet, but this is a step in the right direction for the Coyotes to remain in Arizona for years to come. Armstrong Post Trade Deadline (1) “We are thrilled by the prospects of building this historic development for Arizona Coyotes fans and fans in waiting,” Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said. “This is more than just an arena project – it is a best-in-class urban redevelopment project that would transform a perfectly located parcel of land into an Arizona landmark, and create a vibrant neighborhood for individuals to live, work and play.”
