Residents of Tempe, Arizona, voted Tuesday against building a $2.1-billion entertainment district that would've included a new arena for the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
"We are very disappointed that Tempe voters did not approve propositions 301, 302, and 303," Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said in a statement. "As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history."
Gutierrez added: "What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement:
"The National Hockey League is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe. We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward."
The Coyotes needed a majority to vote in favor of all three propositions. Ultimately, 56% of residents voted no for propositions 301 and 302, while 57% voted no for 303.
Tempe City Council voted unanimously in favor of the project back in November, but a vote from the residents was required to seal the deal.
The results of the vote could spell the beginning of the end for the NHL team in the desert. The Coyotes have two seasons remaining on their agreement to play at Mullett Arena, a 4,600-seat rink in Tempe on the campus of Arizona State University. After that, the Coyotes will again be without a home.
Mullett Arena is already the Coyotes' third arena since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg in 1996. The club first played out of America West Arena in downtown Phoenix before moving to Glendale's Gila River Arena in 2003, then to Mullett Arena last season.
The proposed Tempe Entertainment District would've included a 16,000-seat rink for the Coyotes, a 3,000-seat music venue, and a 19,000-unit residential complex, plus restaurants, hotels, and luxury retail shops.
The Coyotes have ranked bottom-five in the league in average attendance every season since at least 2011-12. Forbes ranked Arizona as the NHL's least valuable franchise in December.
In 26 seasons since moving to Arizona, the team has undergone seven ownership changes and made the playoffs nine times - just once in the past 11 years. The Coyotes have only advanced past Round 1 once, making it to the Western Conference Final in 2012.
