Arizona Coyotes facing eviction from arena for unpaid bills
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Coyotes could be looking for a new home sooner than expected.
The City of Glendale informed the team that it intends to lock the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena by Dec. 20 if all outstanding debts to the city and the management company for the arena are not paid.
Glendale city manager Kevin Phelps sent a letter to the Coyotes on Wednesday informing the Coyotes they owe $1.3 million, including $250,000 to the city. The contents of the letter were first reported by The Athletic.
In a statement from the Coyotes on Wednesday night, they said "we deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused. We will make sure by tomorrow morning, the Arizona Coyotes are current on all of our bills and owe no state or local taxes whatsoever. And we will take immediate steps to ensure nothing like this can ever possibly happen again.”
Kevin Phelps informed the Coyotes that the Arizona Department of Revenue has filed a Notice of Tax Lien for unpaid state and city taxes owned by IceArizona, the Coyotes’ ownership company.
The Coyotes have been leasing Gila River Arena on an annual basis since the Glendale City Council voted to opt out of a multimillion-dollar long-term deal in 2016. The city announced last week it will not renew its agreement with the franchise beyond the 2021-22 season.
The team has submitted a bid for a tract of land in Tempe in what could be its first step in landing a permanent home.
