CXLVII - Is this the 'Final Countdown' in Arizona?

[Final Baton]

Here we are : past the holidays.

What will happen in the next 2 months? Who knows. But it will seal the fate of this franchise.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Here we are : past the holidays.

What will happen in the next 2 months? Who knows. But it will seal the fate of this franchise.

Oh no. No, no, no.

You're never going to convince me that any two week, err, two month, period of time will "seal the fate of the franchise". This franchise appears to have more lives then a whole sackfull of cats.

Perhaps at some point this saga will be over - either the team moves, or they get a shiny new building built. But until it happens I refuse to believe that, this time, the story will be over shortly.

 

[Final Baton]

Perhaps at some point this saga will be over - either the team moves, or they get a shiny new building built.

Well that's what I'm saying. Before the end of the regular season, 1 of those 2 things will happen.

Which will pretty much "seal the fate of the franchise". Either they move, or get a new barn and stay for good.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Well that's what I'm saying. Before the end of the regular season, 1 of those 2 things will happen.

Which will pretty much "seal the fate of the franchise". Either they move, or get a new barn and stay for good.

To which I repeat.

Oh no. No, no, no.

You're never going to convince me that any two week, err, two month, period of time will "seal the fate of the franchise". This franchise appears to have more lives then a whole sackfull of cats.

After more than a decade of watching this tire-fire I learned to never say "this is the end".

 

[Final Baton]

To which I repeat.



After more than a decade of watching this tire-fire I learned to never say "this is the end".

It has been an epic journey for sure.

But I do believe it is finally coming to an end.

 

[Yukon Joe]

It has been an epic journey for sure.

But I do believe it is finally coming to an end.

Oh you sweet summer child! :hug:

 

[Final Baton]

Oh you sweet summer child! :hug:

There is a conjecture that's happening right now, and that has never happened before in the history of this saga. (and this means you cannot for sure use the previous trends of the story anymore, to make your call)

And it just happens to be the biggest development that can happen in this dossier :

-The BOG finally voicing that they want a resolution before the end of the season, and that another season at Mullet is not an option.

That's why I choose to believe this time (a completely new situation with the biggest possible development happening. The BOG has never put pression on the situation before, so this is a first for this immensely important factor)

 

[MNNumbers]

There is a conjecture that's happening right now, and that has never happened before in the history of this saga. (and this means you cannot for sure use the previous trends of the story anymore, to make your call)

And it just happens to be the biggest development that can happen in this dossier :

-The BOG finally voicing that they want a resolution before the end of the season, and that another season at Mullet is not an option.

That's why I choose to believe this time (a completely new situation with the biggest possible development happening. The BOG has never put pression on the situation before, so this is a first for this immensely important factor)

We would all love to hear more from the source who is informing you that the BOG is voicing that 'something needs to happen.' Simply because we don't know of any such statement by the BOG.

Can you tell us more?

 

[Yukon Joe]

There is a conjecture that's happening right now, and that has never happened before in the history of this saga. (and this means you cannot for sure use the previous trends of the story anymore, to make your call)

And it just happens to be the biggest development that can happen in this dossier :

-The BOG finally voicing that they want a resolution before the end of the season, and that another season at Mullet is not an option.

That's why I choose to believe this time (a completely new situation with the biggest possible development happening. The BOG has never put pression on the situation before, so this is a first for this immensely important factor)

So let's be clear - this might be the season that finally decides the future of the Coyotes franchise. But I refuse to state that it will be for the simple fact I've been burned saying that many times in the past.

You point to the BOG. It's clear the BOG hasn't been happy about the situation in Arizona for years. If the situation isn't resolved by the end of the season it's unclear to me however what the BOG can do about it. Do they really want to try and force a sale and relocation? What leverage do they have to make that happen (versus a long and expensive court battle)?

 

[JimAnchower]

We would all love to hear more from the source who is informing you that the BOG is voicing that 'something needs to happen.' Simply because we don't know of any such statement by the BOG.

Can you tell us more?

If that statements is true, there could be other things at play. Individual owners on the BOG may have different motivations than others. Some might be fine with the situation because it usually means one less team that is fully competing. Some might not want to see any attempt to force the team out because they see that they might be next.

 

[Shwan]

I wonder how good of a year ASM had if Glendale is willing to throw a party for Desert Diamond Arena.

Glendale and ASM Global, which manages the city-owned facility, are celebrating the milestone by recapping legendary moments, revealing impact numbers, and shining a spotlight on the future. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the venue inside the Westgate Entertainment District, 9400 W. Maryland Ave.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

I wonder how good of a year ASM had if Glendale is willing to throw a party for Desert Diamond Arena.

Lipstick on a pig? Hell, IDK, profits were up during the lockout as well. Not much heart and soul in the valley, that’s gonna take time… a LOT of time.

Gotta wonder if there will be any ”Coyote” memorable moments…. Not enough to actually attend though.

 

[aqib]

How much does Glendale owe on the arena?

 

[Shwan]

How much does Glendale owe on the arena?

The City owed about $139M in 2019 and given the pandemic I doubt it was paid down at all.

Hence why they entered into a deal with ASM where they're going to offload the arena to them to save costs in the long run.

This move by the city to put money into the facility may seem controversial, but the plan structured makes it so that they will actually be deferring millions in costs to hold on to the facility.

The city set aside $5.8 million in its budget to keep the arena running, of which nearly $1 million in costs per year will be saved. If Glendale were to keep the facility under its control, the city would end up spending nearly $150 million in city funds to keep the facility at its full capacity.

So the idea to defer those costs to ASM, in exchange for the ownership of the stadium became a mutual benefit.

Putting in $25 million initially comes as a sense of urgency from the city to get Desert Diamond Arena fully restored and back in a position to host events as quickly as possible. But even then, the city isn’t spending any more of its money, as within the first three years of the 20-year lease, the initial appraisal of $33.29 million will be fully paid off by ASM to the city.

Kevin Phelps, Glendale city manager, said the lease payments, which will be paid in four installments, are equal to the appraised value of the arena. ASM Global will have the option to buy the arena after making the lease payments, which will total $33.29 million.

 

[Llama19]

Coyotes on ‘precipice’ of announcing location organization will focus on for new arena

To quote:

"The Arizona Coyotes are close to announcing a location the organization will focus on for its new arena, president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday.

“We still envision this to be a landmark project, privately funded, we’re gonna buy the land and build the buildings and maintain them ourselves like we’ve said all along,” he added.

He said on Friday the goal remains to have a deal done by the end of the season.

“We did commit to the NHL that by the end of this season we would have this in place,” Gutierrez said. “But the first step is to just make that public announcement of saying ‘Here’s the location, here’s the project, here’s the deal,’ and then get it done and closed by the end of the season. That’s still our timeline.”"

Source (Audio): arizonasports.com/story/3540916/coyotes-precipice-announcing-location-organization-focus-new-arena/

 

[MNNumbers]

Can someone put together a timeline of supposed deadlines since the referendum failed? I feel like we have gone from 'end of 2023' to 'first quarter' and now we are at 'end of season'.

Can someone verify?

 

[Llama19]

Can someone put together a timeline of supposed deadlines since the referendum failed? I feel like we have gone from 'end of 2023' to 'first quarter' and now we are at 'end of season'.

Can someone verify?

How about this...

Well...we have the 'letter of intent' for that Mesa land in August, 2023...

"“We can confirm that Coyotes Owner, Chairman & Governor Alex Meruelo has executed a Letter of Intent to purchase a parcel of land located in Mesa, Arizona to be the potential site for a sports arena and entertainment district for the Club," the statement said. "The Coyotes remain committed to building the first privately funded sports facility in Arizona history and ensuring the Valley as the Club’s permanent home. In addition to this property in Mesa, the Club will continue to explore other potential sites in the East Valley.""

Source: www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2023/08/09/arizona-coyotes-arena-update-nhl-team-attempts-purchase-mesa-land/70558504007/

Then...we have this from end of October/first of November...

"“We know that within the next call it 60 days, there's going to be some public announcement. We've committed to the NHL that we will resolve this issue by the end of the first quarter, probably by mid season.”"

Source: www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/coyotes-looking-to-make-arena-announcement-within-next-60-days/ar-AA1iAK7K

Then...on December 3...you know who...dropped this shifting from Mesa...to a parcel of public auction land in northeast Phoenix...

Source: gophnx.com/new-arena-site-offers-meruelo-coyotes-last-chance/

However...the previous 60 day (i.e., the end of the calendar year) deadline has passed...

Now...it is also close to 'mid-season'...right...so in two weeks?

Yet...this was just two weeks ago...

"“Our goal is to shortly after the first of the year, really announce that one location we are going to move forward with and we feel very confident we will be able to make that announcement and as we made a commitment to Commissioner Bettman and the NHL, we hope to have a final resolution of this before the end of the year,” Gutierrez said."

Source: www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/coyotes-president-hints-of-potential-extension-at-mullett-arena/ar-AA1lUNRW

So...is the 'before the end of the year' statement...2024?

 

[MNNumbers]

I just feel bad for the fans in the Valley. That's all.

Also, I keep wondering this:
If the arena needs the housing and development aspect in order to be viable, does a housing and development project also need an arena?

In other words, would Meruelo be just as well off to find a site and build there without the arena?

Just asking because I really don't get it?

 

[MNNumbers]

And, furthermore, does TED pass referendum if the hockey team is not part of the deal? Like say, Meruelo proposes an arena with a development, but no hockey, does that change the feeling of the voters (which it seems was mostly anti-rich rhetoric). Or, can he pass a development without an arena all together?

These things are interesting questions.

 

[Shwan]

And, furthermore, does TED pass referendum if the hockey team is not part of the deal? Like say, Meruelo proposes an arena with a development, but no hockey, does that change the feeling of the voters (which it seems was mostly anti-rich rhetoric). Or, can he pass a development without an arena all together?

These things are interesting questions.

TED Wouldn't have existed without the arena. Scottsdale Fashion Square/Old Town Scottsdale is about 5 miles north of the site (Upscale Shopping), Tempe South Pier is being constricted about 3 miles East of the site (another $1.8B retail/office/condo district with a giant ferris wheel proposed), Mill Avenue just around the corner of the site is undergoing a ~$20M refresh for more retail. Then finally there's Tempe Marketplace a little further East which covers just about all other retail needs.

No intelligent developer would have tried to do what Meruelo attempted to do unless they were trying to scheme government subsidy out of it using a sports arena as leverage.

The arena district would have created a huge cannibalization issue for Tempe where there was going to be a loser at the taxpayers cost. The voters correctly decided to nip it in the bud.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

It feels like a whole lot of nothing is being said which at this juncture really doesn't augur well for the franchise.

 

[Llama19]

How losing a sports team made Desert Diamond Arena Glendale's biggest catalyst for growth

To quote:

"Why losing the Coyotes hasn't hurt the arena in Glendale

When the city announced in 2022 that it was not renewing the Coyotes’ lease, it issued a statement saying that industry experts felt the move would put the arena in position to be even more successful.

“And that clearly has borne itself out,” [Glendale City Manager Kevin] Phelps says.

They may have lost 41 games, but concerts tend to bring more money to the area than hockey games.

“What we found is that a fan attending a hockey game arrived 30 to 45 minutes before the game, bought their food and beverage inside the arena, and when the game was over with, got inside their car and went home,” Phelps says.

A concertgoer is more likely to make a day of it.

“They’re getting to the entertainment district in the afternoon,” Phelps says. “They’re meeting friends. They’re having lunch. They’re going to the bars. That one person going to a hockey game is not spending the same amount of money as that one person coming to a concert.”

Cutting ties with the Coyotes also gave the arena more freedom to schedule events.

Dale Adams is the general manager of the arena through ASM Global, a venue-management company with more than 350 venues worldwide.

“We’re wide open now,” he says. “Now, we can say ‘Hey, play here. You can have a move-in day.’”"

Source: www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/01/09/desert-diamond-arena-made-glendale-az-destination/72155469007/

 

[Shwan]

Desert Diamond Arena had a record-breaking 2023​

The arena is coming off a record-breaking year, from number of events to total attendance and gross ticket sales, while also seeing a dramatic increase in merch sales.

The arena welcomed a total of 450,000 guests in 2023. A capacity crowd made Zach Bryan the highest-attended concert ever while a two-night stand by Drake became the venue’s highest-grossing concert and its most successful two-show to date.

That’s two record-breaking years in a row for the multi-purpose venue, placing it among the top performing arenas for ASM Global.

And what’s good for the arena is, as always, good for Glendale.

Man who could have predicted this?!?!

 

[aqib]

How about this...

Well...we have the 'letter of intent' for that Mesa land in August, 2023...

"“We can confirm that Coyotes Owner, Chairman & Governor Alex Meruelo has executed a Letter of Intent to purchase a parcel of land located in Mesa, Arizona to be the potential site for a sports arena and entertainment district for the Club," the statement said. "The Coyotes remain committed to building the first privately funded sports facility in Arizona history and ensuring the Valley as the Club’s permanent home. In addition to this property in Mesa, the Club will continue to explore other potential sites in the East Valley.""

Source: www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2023/08/09/arizona-coyotes-arena-update-nhl-team-attempts-purchase-mesa-land/70558504007/

Then...we have this from end of October/first of November...

"“We know that within the next call it 60 days, there's going to be some public announcement. We've committed to the NHL that we will resolve this issue by the end of the first quarter, probably by mid season.”"

Source: www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/coyotes-looking-to-make-arena-announcement-within-next-60-days/ar-AA1iAK7K

Then...on December 3...you know who...dropped this shifting from Mesa...to a parcel of public auction land in northeast Phoenix...

Source: gophnx.com/new-arena-site-offers-meruelo-coyotes-last-chance/

However...the previous 60 day (i.e., the end of the calendar year) deadline has passed...

Now...it is also close to 'mid-season'...right...so in two weeks?

Yet...this was just two weeks ago...

"“Our goal is to shortly after the first of the year, really announce that one location we are going to move forward with and we feel very confident we will be able to make that announcement and as we made a commitment to Commissioner Bettman and the NHL, we hope to have a final resolution of this before the end of the year,” Gutierrez said."

Source: www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/coyotes-president-hints-of-potential-extension-at-mullett-arena/ar-AA1lUNRW

So...is the 'before the end of the year' statement...2024?

So mid-season is after Saturday.

I did find it funny that Gutierrez had to say in the radio interview that Meruelo has been attending Coyotes games. Great to see he is out of the witness protection program

 

[MeHateHe]

Man who could have predicted this?!?!

A lot of assertions in that piece but not a lot of actual facts. I'm not saying they're lying, but while what they're saying sounds plausible there's a lot of 'tell' here and not a lot of show. In a situation as mucky as the Phoenix sports market has shown itself to be, take everything you hear with a few shakers of salt.