Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
Not sure Tempe or Mesa would be ideal either. IMO it's the Phoenix university area or Scottsdale (or in between those two somewhere).
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What are you talking about? Do you know anything about Phoenix? Where is the "Phoenix university" area? Are you talking about Arizona State University or University of Phoenix? There is a huge difference there. One is actually viable, with lands, while the other is an office building that houses salesmen.
Did you know that ASU is in Tempe, and ASU lands spillover into Mesa? Did you know the confluence of all the major ring roads is right on the border of Tempe and Mesa? Did you know that Phoenix, as a city, is completely built out? The same can be said for Scottsdale. The metro area is constrained by reservation lands, meaning the only areas for growth are the far west valley, on the way to Tonopah, or the east valley on the other at to Florence. The mountains and the reservations greatly restrict the flow of traffic and where expansion can go. As far as central locations where there is land and access, Tempe/Mesa is probably it. To do anything in Phoenix itself will require eminent domain to be exercised and a lot of people pissed off. As it is, downtown Phoenix is still a dump and not a great place to be at night. It is also pain in the ass to get in and out of, forcing you to go through some ugly neighborhoods to get back on the 10, 17 or 202.
The majority of money in Phoenix is in North Scottsdale, the Biltmore area, and Paradise Valley. There is plenty of young money in Chandler and Gilbert, so the sports teams are probably best served staying in the 101 corridor, servicing all of the communities listed. The 202 loop catches traffic from the rest of the eastvalley, where the majority of expansion is taking place. Capitalizing on the meeting of 202 and 101 is the key to getting the most people with disposable income to a place with minimal travel times.
For example, all of the places listed are all within 30 minutes of the confluence of 202 and 101. For comparison sake, it is over an hour to the current arena from Gilbert, 45 minutes from N Scottsdale, 50 minutes from Paradise Valley, and so on. This is why this is the only viable location for these facilities. Even if you don't think so. The west valley has proven to be a disaster. They should go central and where the infrastructure can support such projects. That is Tempe/Mesa, but only for a very short time. Available lands are drying up and fast. The time to act was five or ten years ago.