The Coyotes are a franchise full of foibles and failed visions. They’ve been a debtor’s prison for every brave man who tried to own them. They made me the only columnist in North America who routinely ripped Wayne Gretzky, who is more deity than royalty in the world of ice hockey.
Sorry, Wayne. This franchise is a hill too steep for everyone, even the goats.
The thunderous sound of “relocation” that reverberated through the Valley on Thursday – a word finally dropped by Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez as the last possible outcome if their Scottsdale land purchase goes awry – is the endgame we’ve all been waiting for.
There will either be a bright and permanent future in Arizona. Or the franchise will be sold and replanted in Salt Lake City, in a ready-made arena, ending a tired shell game forever.
And while hockey might be the sport that made us all believe in miracles, there was something foreboding in Gutierrez’s tone on Thursday. Something that sounded like goodbye.
If owner Alex Meruelo is truly a billionaire, and if the land is up for auction on June 27, the Coyotes merely need to put their money where their mouths have been.
But this real estate is also extremely valuable: prime acreage with mountain views on the border of Phoenix and North Scottsdale, at a time when people are flooding to Arizona, in a state effectively built and apportioned by savvy and ruthless developers. …
See the full article on Arizona zoning regulations, or, read more Arizona real estate investing news. It’s up to you!