The city of Phoenix unveiled a plan to give America
West Arena a $12M upgrade, making it "one of the biggest
hockey arenas in the NHL," although the Coyotes may still
relocate to Scottsdale, according to Chris Fiscus of the
ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The renovation, which could be completed
"by the end of summer 2000," would give the arena 17,500
seats with "clear views for hockey and arena football." In
addition to the remaining 2,500 "or so 'obstructed-view'"
seats, America West's capacity would increase to over
20,000. The arena currently holds 16,210 for hockey --
though less than 12,000 offer unobstructed views -- and
19,023 for basketball, seating that would "remain
essentially the same." Also, the Coyotes would receive
access to all suites for their home games beginning in the
2000-01 season. Seven existing suites are currently
unavailable to the team. Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza said
that the $12M could be paid from existing arena funds,
although the use of those funds and the renovation plan must
still be approved by the Phoenix City Council. City
officials said the city would still go through with the
renovations despite the Coyotes' insistence on relocating to
a new facility in Scottsdale (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/12).
