Former Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo calls on public to fund new sports project
Alex Meruelo, the former owner of the Arizona Coyotes, is once again asking for public money for a new project that involved hockey and basketball
Here we go again. Alex Meruelo, who lost the Arizona Coyotes to Utah after years of trying to find a suitable home for the team, and public money do to it, is once again asking for taxpayers to shell out for a new arena project that involved a hockey team.
While the Arizona Coyotes could come back to the NHL someday, it won't be under the ownership of Alex Meruelo, who gave up his first rights to a team in the state after selling to Ryan Smith and the relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. However, it's now public that Meruelo is looking at building a new arena in Reno, Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort.
The 'Nevada Arena' would be home to the Nevada men's basketball team and a potential AHL hockey team owned by the GSR's Alex Mereulo. The latest plans would include a 10,000- seat area, a satellite ice rink, a dedicated parking garage, a fan zone, workforce housing and more."
The TIF, is accepted by the city, would give Meruelo and others involved a subsidy based on the tax revenues generated by a large project of this nature. Both University of Nevada (which is involved in the project) President Brian Sandoval and a spokesperson for Meruelo Gaming has previouosly said no public money would be required for the project.
Alex Meruelo's sale of the Arizona Coyotes was essentially forced by the NHL after it became tired of all the promises to get a new arena built in Arizona that never seemed to come to fruition. Since that time, the Vegas Golden Knights have moved into Arizona hoping to scoop up hockey fans looking for a new favourite team. Another massive project by Meruelo that asks for money from taxpayers should be a huge red flag for anyone required to approve it.
