Flanked by brewery workers, a carpenter’s union and a quartet of former Tempe mayors, the Arizona Coyotes took their pitch for a new arena to voters Thursday via news conference.
The group gathered in a Four Peaks Brewing Co. tasting room days after Phoenix sued to block the project, which would be constructed with an entertainment district.
Hugh Hallman negotiated for Tempe the would-be deal with the Coyotes to build on a landfill near Sky Harbor Airport. He called Phoenix’s claim that housing can’t be part of a project an abject lie.
“Their lawsuit is a complete fabrication. And it is a political document, not a legal one,” Hallman said.
A judge has been assigned to the case, but no court date has been set.
A vote by Tempe residents on the project is scheduled for mid-May.
Alexis Meruelo, daughter of team owner Alex Meruelo, spoke for her father at the news conference.
“This plan will not only bring a new permanent home to the Arizona Coyotes, but also bring great economic prosperity to the city of Tempe,” said Alexis Meruelo.
A website by a group of Tempe residents campaigning against the ballot measures notes that Alex Meruelo was outed for not paying taxes or rent when the Coyotes were in Glendale.
