Quote:
Originally Posted by nickw252
I agree. Riverview really would be a very good location.
There's already significant infrastructure supporting sports facilities (hotels, parking, etc) because of the Cubs Stadium. It's centrally located. There has been talk of extending the Tempe Streetcar down Rio Salado to Riverview.
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Trying to get off at the Eastbound Dobson exit during heavy rush hour traffic, which is when most spectators would be heading to a Coyotes game, would be a complete nightmare. I use this exit several times per week. Trust me, it's a mess trying to merge through merging 202 traffic even when it's light. You could take Alma School, but it will still be a complete headache. As for a streetcar to Riverview, that would be a good decade away, if not longer. Look how long it is taking just to get Tempe going. Also, streetcars are not really ideal to handle mass volumes of people that would occur during a sporting event. It would require extra cars and that is more costly.
Anywhere off the current light rail line is a loss IMHO. Better than Westgate, yea. But still not ideal. Coyotes have a shot at selecting a perfect location. Why blow it? They WON'T get another chance at this in Arizona. There's only so much money loss a franchise will take before bailing on a city. Look what just happened to St. Louis. The Coyotes need to get this right to get the best attendance figures. If it's anywhere off the lightrail line, you are killing potential from a lot of fans that don't want to drive, don't have cars, deal with traffic problems, etc.
Didn't ASU state they would be willing to have hockey in Downtown Phoenix if an arena ended up there due to their growing campus expansion in Phoenix? I read that somewhere a few months ago. I suppose that's not on the table any longer?