Beacon Sports Capital on behalf of the city of Glendale “will begin to elicit proposals Monday from outside companies to manage Jobing.com Arena,” according to Paul Giblin of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The strategy to “seek an outsider to run the facility is a clear signal that Glendale officials are running out of patience with the seemingly never-ending Phoenix Coyotes ownership saga and are willing to untie arena management from team ownership.” City Council member Ian Hugh said that the group is “open to separating arena-management responsibilities from the hockey team’s lease to play at the arena.” Giblin notes without taking it to bid, the city “never established a firm market value for the management contract.” Potential Coyotes buyers previously have “wanted the city to pay them millions of dollars a year to manage the arena.” Coyotes President & COO Mike Nealy yesterday said that NHL execs are “involved in discussions with four potential ownership groups, but Nealy deferred further comment about ownership matters to league officials.” Council member Gary Sherwood said that Beacon will publish a “request for proposals on the city’s website and elsewhere on Monday.” Sherwood added that Beacon execs will “provide tours of the arena to interested firms from May 6 through 10, narrow the field to two or three finalists later that month and negotiate a contract with the chosen company by May 24.” Giblin notes the timeline “calls for the new company to take over management of the Glendale arena starting July 1” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/11).
