The Arizona Coyotes are countersuing the City of Phoenix as the battle for the team's new entertainment district in Tempe will head to court. The Coyotes' proposal includes building a new arena, entertainment district, and apartments on 42 acres of land in Tempe that used to be a landfill. The citizens of Tempe are supposed to vote on the project on May 16, but Phoenix and the Coyotes are now locked in a battle over its construction.
On March 28, Phoenix submitted a lawsuit against the City of Tempe in Maricopa County Superior Court that sought to kill the project. Phoenix argued that the project would violate an agreement about how close housing can be to Sky Harbor Airport, which is owned and operated by the City of Phoenix.
While Sky Harbor initially agreed to the proposal, it came with certain conditions. Now, the city alleges that Tempe has gone back on agreements to not oppose future airport growth or build housing near the airport. Sky Harbor says it is concerned that the apartments in the entertainment district could be exposed to a dangerously high noise level.
On Wednesday, the Coyotes and Bluebird Development announced that they were countersuing Phoenix for $2.3 billion in damages. They released a lengthy statement blasting Phoenix and Sky Harbor for trying to tank the new entertainment district.
"The Arizona Coyotes and its development arm, Bluebird Development, have had enough of Phoenix's bullying bureaucrats," the team said in its statement. "And now the City of Phoenix is facing a $2.3 billion claim after it broke its word and decided to undermine a plan to convert a hazardous unlined Tempe-owned landfill into a new sports and entertainment district next to Tempe Town Lake."
Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez also released a statement of its own. Gutierrez claims Phoenix is being hypocritical after allowing other arenas and residential housing to be built near the airport within its own city limits.
"Phoenix City Hall's bad behavior seems intended to preserve its downtown sports venue monopoly and has nothing to do with safety or soundness of the airport," Gutierrez said. "While Phoenix bureaucrats have allowed developers to build a basketball arena, a ballpark, and apartments in flight paths, when Tempe attempts to do the same a manufactured crisis arrives."
The Coyotes are currently sharing Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat arena, with the Arizona State hockey program. That is where they will remain until the can find a more permanent solution.
