Photo by: Arizonasports.com
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The new proposed home of the Arizona Coyotes in Tempe including entertainment district, hotels, office buildings and luxury apartments could cost the nearby Phoenix Sky Harbor airport millions of dollars a year, according to Phoenix city officials.
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During an April 21 Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board meeting, Jordan Feld, Phoenix's deputy aviation director, said that the airport, along with an outside economist, ran a study to see how Sky Harbor could be impacted by the construction phase off the proposed $1.9 billion project.
The answer: A loss of approximately $21.5 million every year.
This discovery will give the city of Tempe a stronger case in closing the project proposal as it will create many issues for the nearby major airport.
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This is not good for the team which is hoping to have this arena project complete for the 2025-26 NHL season, allowing the them to move from their temporary home at the Arizona State University multi-purpose arena, with a maximum capacity of 5000 people.
The study also suggested that there would be serious delays at Sky Harbor airport and that the airport's capacity would be limited. Furthermore, the study also said that because of the impact on the airport, the larger Phoenix economy could lose $264 million a year.
If this projected plan gets denied, the Coyotes would most likely have no other choice but to relocate from the desert to another major city with an NHL ready arena.
