Downtown Takes Lead in Race for New Stadium

PHOENIX-Downtown appears to have gained an edge over its competitors to land a $335-million football stadium for the Arizona Cardinals.

Downtown boosters says that the new 73,000-seat stadium can be built on a rail yard in the Downtown area using no more than $3 million in taxpayer-assisted financing. Most of the other communities vying for the stadium would have to spend significantly more in public funds to get their site ready for the stadium.

“We’ve ended up with a package even beyond what we expected, to deliver a site that doesn’t require a lot of public investment,” says Brian Kearney, executive director and chief executive officer of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, which promotes Downtown development. “We’ve got a winner here.”