TEMPE, AZ — It might not look like much right now, but a 46-acre plot of land near Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway has quickly become Tempe's most sought-after area.
Voters head to the polls from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Tempe to decide on Props 301, 302, and 303, which would give the City the right to re-zone this area and build a new entertainment district, which includes a new home for our Arizona Coyotes.
"We would say that it's more than hockey. And it's about more than sports," explains Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez. "By saying yes to Propositions 301, 302, and 303, the Tempe voters will approve bringing jobs, bringing revenue, clean up a toxic landfill, and they don't have to pay for it in the very first time in the history of Arizona, unlike every other sports event, sports and entertainment venue here. That is why it's the right project. That is why it's the right deal. And we are the right team to execute on it."
ABC15's Javier Soto sat down with Gutierrez one-on-one recently to discuss the $2.1-billion project which Gutierrez says would bring 6,000 jobs to the area, boost tourism, and create a new, mixed-use entertainment hub in the East Valley, complete with hotels, retail shops, restaurants, apartments, a music venue, and of course, a new 16,000-seat home for the Coyotes.
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But what about that multi-billion-dollar price tag? Would taxpayers be on the hook for any of it?
Gutierrez says no.
"It's very simple. The City of Glendale paid for that arena. Taxpayers are paying for that arena. Taxpayers paid for every other sports venue in Arizona. Whether it's the football stadium, the basketball arena, the baseball the money minor league facilities, they're all here. Taxpayers paid for it. And guess what? None of them pay property taxes ever. You're right. People should not want that. That is not what this is."
Tempe City Councilmember Randy Keating says the project would get a $100-million property tax abatement over 30 years, but immediately, the project would generate sales tax and the city would still get a cut.
"What we're doing is we're splitting the sales tax with the Coyotes at the arena itself," says Keating. "And they're going to use their half of that sales tax to go help with construction costs over the long term. So if you're not a hockey fan, you don't go to a game, not one dime of your money will go towards anything at the Tempe entertainment district."
But it's not just the money that's generating concerns; some people in the community worry that the big price tag could also bring big back-ups.
"I have lived in Tempe for almost 40 years and we don't need any more congestion," explains longtime resident Linda Amorosi, who plans to vote 'no' on the project. "I just don't think that's the spot for it. I think they need to go further away from the metropolitan area."
Other people have voiced concerns about potential issues with air traffic and flight paths, water usage, and bringing more gambling to the area.
"I am concerned about the gambling and Las Vegas element that it's bringing to our community," explains Kathy, another Tempe resident. "I feel that there are plenty of gambling centers available to our residents."
For more information, head to Tempe's website.
