CXLVIII - Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo had 'productive' meeting with Phoenix mayor

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TheLegend

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Buzzing BoH

QuizGuy66

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Sep 12, 2011
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Ok - Help me out here. They're just now determining this (in the 11th hour), and this couldn't have been put in place at the beginning of the auction process?

I mean, the link to the f***ing form is on the front page of ASLD's website under Applications & Permits

I must be missing a step I guess

They were waiting for HFBoards to get our bid together
 

Whileee

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May 29, 2010
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Um….. the guy has several state and federal agencies that regulate and oversee all his businesses.

Can’t see them all just turning a blind eye to him if he’s such a “fraud.”
Perhaps, but I think it's pretty clear that the NHL was prepared to turn a blind eye to a "fraud" in the longstanding Coyotes saga.

Really, this wasn't so much a market issue as it was the failure to clear out the detritus of a string of financial, ownership and municipal snafus that saddled the franchise with too much baggage.

Best way forward is probably allowing for a completely fresh slate in a few years and hoping that the right ownership emerges with a positive relationship with local governments. In a way, you wonder whether it wouldn't have been better if the NHL had pulled the plug and started the reset in Arizona earlier.
 

Edenjung

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Jun 7, 2018
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I think it will delay this by 5 months. And if they need to reevaluate the land it will take longer.
This could have been solved 6 months ago....
 

TheLegend

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Ok - Help me out here. They're just now determining this (in the 11th hour), and this couldn't have been put in place at the beginning of the auction process?

I mean, the link to the f***ing form is on the front page of ASLD's website under Applications & Permits

I must be missing a step I guess

This is how I’m perceiving it….

Meruelo was presuming the land was zoned for an arena based on another project that was approved under the same zoning up in North Phoenix a few years back. COP has been saying “hold on a minute.”

Now…. Tie in the Theme Park District bill (HB2274) that just made its way through the legislature. Its language originally had cut cities out of the process, but was recently put back in via a late amendment. The bill passed and afaik still sits on the governor’s desk at this point.

So what it looks like now is COP wants a special use permit for the arena. In addition to all the other infrastructure guidlines they specified in the auction package.

Whether that satisfies the zoning issue I don’t know.

But what this shows is there were things going on in the background that haven’t been resolved yet.

The land trust doesn’t want to sell a parcel unless there’s a clear plan in place so they’ve decided to cancel the 6/27 auction until this permit COP wants is rectified (or not).
 

eojsmada

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Oct 23, 2022
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Well...that cinches that. There's no way Meruelo can meet the NHL's deadline.

I think it will delay this by 5 months. And if they need to reevaluate the land it will take longer.
This could have been solved 6 months ago....
I'm sensing a certain number of personages, to probably include the guy from Scottsdale who had some issues, all figured out a way to make this "go away."
 
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GKJ

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Well...that cinches that. There's no way Meruelo can meet the NHL's deadline.


I'm sensing a certain number of personages, to probably include the guy from Scottsdale who had some issues, all figured out a way to make this "go away."
Not quite a cinch. More difficult obviously, but we don’t know the timeline.
 

awfulwaffle

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Jun 20, 2011
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Dallas, TX
It's getting more and more difficult. I know people don't like AM, but he was the best hope for bringing hockey back quickly to AZ. If he fails, I don't see anything possibly happening until 2037 at minimum. This is when the suns lease is up. Ishbia might want a new arena at that point, and could very well try to work with the COP and get an arena that can work for both hockey and basketball.

I just don't see anyone trying to enter the NHL market by building an arena in Phoenix or other areas, especially with how unwilling the government in AZ seems to be on giving tax breaks and incentives.
 

eojsmada

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Oct 23, 2022
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Not quite a cinch. More difficult obviously, but we don’t know the timeline.
He had to be 50% built on the arena to get a sniff. 6 months of no shovels is going to set that back big time. I can't imagine they call a special session to get him a special use permit. Plus you know they will open it to the public for any opposition stance.
 
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