Land eyed by the Coyotes back up for auction for at least $110M

Article originally posted on AZ Central on April 15, 2025

Land in northeast Phoenix that was once eyed by the Arizona Coyotes for a new arena is headed back to the auction block to potentially be sold and developed.

About 217 acres of land located west of Scottsdale Road and north of Loop 101 is scheduled to be sold at an Arizona State Land Department auction June 20. The starting bid for the land is $110 million.

Part of that site, about 100 acres at the southern portion, was proposed as a landing spot for the NHL team, but the plan did not come to fruition. The Arizona State Land Department, which controls the land, ultimately canceled a scheduled auction for the site, and the team moved to Utah.

An aerial map shows about 217 acres of land that is scheduled to be sold at an Arizona State Land Department auction in June. The site includes about 100 acres that the Arizona Coyotes had wanted to buy for a new arena.

Now, a Minnesota-based commercial developer has applied to buy the site and develop a mixed-use corporate campus.

Mortenson, a developer with dozens of large projects in Arizona, including offices, hotels, sports facilities and industrial centers, applied to buy the land from the state.

“Mortenson has strong interest in the vitality and appeal of North Phoenix, and we believe the area near Scottsdale Road and State Route 101 presents a great long-term opportunity for a corporate and mixed-use development,” a spokesperson for Mortenson said in an email. “At this stage, we don’t have any specific details to share regarding any potential project.”

The site Mortenson is seeking to buy includes the land the Coyotes wanted, along with about 100 more acres on the north end of the site.

Land controlled by the Arizona State Land Department is required to be sold at public auction, meaning the company that applied could potentially be outbid at the auction and another buyer could win it.