By Sam Kmack | Arizona Republic
Groups supporting and opposing Tempe’s $2.1 billion deal with the Arizona Coyotes sparred over the merits of the deal during a debate on Tuesday night, squaring off on topics such as the deal’s economic impacts and benefits for Tempe to the tax breaks that the Coyotes are slated to receive.
The back-and-forth grew pointed at times, with Tempe City Council member and paramedic Joel Navarro showing his frustration over claims that the 46-acre project site isn’t currently a safety hazard, and opposition leader Dawn Penich-Thacker redoubling her attack on Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo as a “corrupt billionaire.”
At its core, the messages of both sides were clear: The opposition wants to “start fresh” with a new project idea for the site, while Coyotes arena supporters want the public to “vote yes” and insist that the deal is a slam-dunk opportunity for Tempe that won’t arise again.
Supporters called it the best sports franchise deal for taxpayers in Arizona history, and detractors painted the project as too good to be true and a giveaway.
Overall, the exchanges were polite and substantive in a debate free of name-calling or hostility. The Arizona Republic sponsored and moderated the debate.
The Coyotes project in question would involve building a professional hockey arena, nearly 2,000 apartments and an entertainment district on 46 acres of city-owned land west of Town Lake. It won’t happen unless a majority of Tempe voters check “yes” on three ballot initiatives — Propositions 301, 302 and 303 — on Election Day, May 16.
