Glendale City Council approves arena management deal

November 28, 2012

The National Hockey League lockout is in its 74th day. The Phoenix Coyotes still don’t have an owner. But there is some good news for hockey in the desert after a decision Tuesday night in Glendale

By a 4-2 vote, the Glendale City Council approved a 20-year, $324 million arena management deal with likely Coyotes buyer Greg Jamison. The Council originally approved a deal in June, but some city leaders wanted to renegotiate it.

The new plan approved late Tuesday night will save Glendale about $4 million and reduce the city’s payments in the early years of the agreement. But spokeswoman Julie Frisoni said the plan will force cuts to Glendale’s general fund over the next five years in the range of $20 million.

“We’re still working through what those cuts are," Frisoni said. "We’re really trying to look at the areas that do not have as much service impacts for residents, but anything the city did at this point meant some budget cuts.”

The deal will likely mean cutting dozens of city jobs. But without the arena deal, Glendale still would have had to cut its budget by $12 million.

After the vote, Jamison said he wants to close a deal to buy the Coyotes in the next month or so.