The Arizona Coyotes could be taking a very different approach in their quest for a new arena after failing in their attempt to get voters to approve a project in Tempe last month.
Like avoiding a vote altogether.
PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan offered an update on the state of the Coyotes’ search for a new arena site and offered this nugget: “It is instructive to remember that the team is looking to avoid another public vote, so privately owned land or county islands make more sense. Achieving tax abatements is a challenge that the team will have to navigate on county islands.”
Morgan detailed some locations that could fit that billing in a recent story, writing that “League sources and sources affiliated with the individual sites confirmed to PHNX Sports that the Coyotes are considering sites in Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land.”
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The Mesa site, according to Morgan, is a privately owned site on a country island along the Red Mountain Freeway at Alma School Road.
Morgan wrote that the previously mentioned Fiesta Mall location “has never been one of the leading candidates.”
He also wrote about a 65-acre of vacant land within the Sal River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community west of Loop 101 that could be an option for the Coyotes.
The team would not be able to construct a sportsbook or residences on tribal land, according to Morgan, but that option would allow the Coyotes a quicker timeline for construction than building on non-tribal land.
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Another factor in Coyotes’ search for new arena site
Interestingly, Morgan cited another factor in the search for a new Coyotes’ arena site.
The fans.
He wrote: “All of those sites sit within the core of the Valley’s population base, wealth base and corporate bases. The sites also sit within the core of the team’s season-ticket holder base, the vast majority of which lives on the east side of the city (anywhere from two-thirds to three-quarters, depending on the level of tickets).”
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NHL relocation speculation surrounds Coyotes
Relocation chatter has swirled around the Coyotes since Tempe voters rejected the team’s arena deal last month.
The Coyotes attempted to quiet some of the speculation about a potential move with a statement saying “We remain committed to Arizona and have already started re-engaging with local officials and sites to solidify a new permanent home in the Valley.”
Morgan wrote that the Coyotes would like to have a plan in place for a new arena before the start of the upcoming NHL season.
Could one of these sites end up being the new home of the Coyotes?
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Coyotes new arena: NHL team shifts strategy, possible sites
