The Arizona Coyotes face damaging setback as they will not secure land auction
Photo credit: NHL
The future of the Arizona Coyotes hangs in the balance as next week's land auction for their proposed arena site has been canceled.
This afternoon, Arizona Cardinals reporter Craig Morgan was the first to report that the state of Arizona has canceled the land auction scheduled for next Thursday. This development deals a significant blow to the Coyotes franchise, which faces a tight deadline of five years to complete a new arena if they are to be reinstated into the NHL.
Breaking: The Arizona State Land Department has cancelled the auction.
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In the agreement that relocated the Coyotes to Utah, former owner Alex Meruelo secured rights to the team name and branding for five years. If he can develop the necessary infrastructure to sustain the team within this timeframe, there's hope for the team's revival. Otherwise, their future remains uncertain. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman corroborated this shortly after Morgan's initial report.
Full details in this thread, but per @CraigSMorgan, next week's land auction that could have determined the future of an NHL hockey arena in Arizona is cancelled
The cancellation seems to stem from issues with obtaining necessary permits for the project. This afternoon, the Arizona State Land Department released a statement explaining the cancellation of the auction, attributing it to the requirement for a special use permit to develop the proposed arena district.
After much consideration, the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) has determined that it is in the best interest of the trust to cancel the auction and reorder the steps. ASLD recently confirmed that the proposed arena will require a special use permit, and as a result we are requesting that the applicant file for and receive a special use permit prior to the auction. This affords the applicant and ASLD certainly that the applicant build what it intends to build for its anchor tenant. It is not uncommon for ASLD to require applicants to secure zoning/use permits prior to auction.
See the full statement below.
At this juncture, the prospect of the Coyotes returning to Arizona appears increasingly uncertain. Hopefully, for the fans' sake, this outcome does not materialize, but ongoing issues with Meruelo and his team suggest otherwise. Stay tuned for further updates as Meruelo endeavors to reclaim the team.
Source: Markerzone
Arizona Coyotes suffer unexpected setback on their return to the NHL
Arizona Coyotes suffer unexpected setback on their return to the NHL
| POLL | ||
21 JUIN | 508 ANSWERS The Arizona Coyotes face damaging setback as they will not secure land auction Do you think the Arizona Coyotes have a chance of ever returning to the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 97 | 19.1 % |
| No | 411 | 80.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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