Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega released a lengthy statement Monday laying out his opposition to the arena and entertainment district the Arizona Coyotes have said they want to build on the border of Phoenix and Scottsdale.Last week a public auction date was set for June 27 for a 110-acre piece of Arizona State Trust land at the northwest corner of the Loop 101 freeway and Scottsdale Road. Arizona Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez has emphasized that team owner Alex Meruelo is committed to winning it.If the Coyotes are able to acquire the land, they plan to build a new arena, practice facility, headquarters, live music theater, 400,000 square feet of retail and 1,900 luxury residential units.While Ortega said he is an admirer of hockey and particularly the Coyotes, he said the project, which is still pretty much hypothetical now, is not thought out, not needed in the area and will not be getting any infrastructure resources from Scottsdale.expandScottsdale Mayor David Ortega.Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal“The prospect of a rookie developer attempting to buy Arizona State Trust Land with absolutely no infrastructure on the Phoenix side of the 101/Scottsdale Road intersection at the doorstep of Scottsdale is not feasible, or welcome,” Ortega said.The Coyotes declined to comment about Ortega’s opposition to the proposed project. The team’s practice rink and offices are both located in the city of Scottsdale.Click through the gallery below to see renderings of the Arizona Coyotes’ plans:Artists rendering of the development being proposed by the Arizona Coyotes in north Phoenix.In his statement, Ortega pointed out several issues with the site, the first being that there is currently no infrastructure there and water and sewer lines lie miles away to the west.The state land department’s auction will require that all infrastructure — water and sewer — come from the city of Phoenix. A new frontage road will need to be built on the north side of the Loop 101, while the 64th Street and Loop 101 north exit will have to be built out to serve the area. Ortega said he demanded those conditions in a meeting earlier this year with the Arizona Land Department.A lengthy letter from the city of Phoenix that details all the infrastructure needed for the site was included in the public auction documents. Gutierrez told the Business Journal earlier this month that he expects the infrastructure for the site to cost around $100 million.Mayor says move the project away from ScottsdaleOutside of infrastructure, Ortega said that the retail aspects of the Coyotes proposed project “sit too close to the retail lions of Scottsdale.” He also pointed out that the project would lead to congested highway access and he questioned whether there is market demand for a new entertainment venue.“I along with City of Scottsdale staff will continue to monitor any actions that occur, and negative repercussions for Scottsdale,” Ortega said. “As it stands today, the fantasy hockey project must move west, away from Scotts …
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