July 23, was a significant date for hockey fans in Arizona. It was the day the rumor came out that the Arizona Coyotes were looking at land in Tempe to build a new arena.
The proposal was supposed to end the question of whether the team would stay in Arizona. It was also supposed to be a new era for the City of Tempe which has become a rapidly growing city. However, little did anyone know that in just under two years, the Coyotes would be gone, and the state of Arizona for the first time since the 90s would no longer be a Big Four sports market.
This is the story of the Tempe Entertainment District. What was supposed to be the saving grace for the NHL in Arizona turned into its final nail in the coffin. The land was being used as a toxic landfill and had been used as a landfill for the past 70 years. It was set to be a whole entertainment district complete with restaurants, stores, and apartments that would help in the growth of the City of Tempe.
A sportsbook would also have been constructed in the district to help pay for the project. The Tempe Marketplace was once a acre toxic landfill. Developers and the City of Tempe worked together to clean up the area which ended up being the largest toxic cleanup in the state of Arizona. A place that is frequented by many with over stores including the closest Target to Arizona State University , a concert venue, and a movie theatre.
A crown jewel in Tempe. At this point, the Coyotes had called Gila River Arena home since While the actual arena was a decent venue, the problem was that it was located in Glendale. However, the city never exploded like it was supposed to and most fans found themselves driving 30 minutes if lucky from Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale to the arena.
