The 36-year-old sports facility could be facing the wrecking ball if one of its main tenants doesn't extend its lease deal, say members of the venue's board.

The Mustangs, a West Coast Hockey League team, leases the 14,000-seat arena for about 40 games a year. However, the team may not renewing its lease, which is set to expire in September. The team has been looking for land in the East Valley to build its own facility and began negotiations in July with the city of Glendale.

Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, which is on 96 acres at the southeast corner of McDowell Road and Grand Avenue, has experienced diminishing demand since the early 1990s, when its main tenant, the Phoenix Suns, moved to a new arena in downtown Phoenix. It is now used about 100 days a year for about a dozen concerts, Arizona Thunder indoor soccer games, fairs and expositions. The Arizona State Fair is held there every October.

The Arizona Thunder will not play in the facility next year, says team owner John Ogden. The team will be taking a year off, he said. Fans don't want to attend events at the aging facility, he says, which has cost him revenue from season-ticket fans.

If the Coliseum loses the hockey team, there is a proposal to tear it down and redevelop the parcel. The title to the stadium is in the hands of the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum board; however, the board would not make a final decision without consulting state officials, say board officials.