The Los Arcos Stadium District, a public entity that will provide up to $200 million in public funding for the redevelopment project, was set to expire today. If it had team owner Steve Ellman would surely have either moved to team to another location in the Valley or out of the state altogether, but now he's got seven months to reach an agreement with the city.

Three council members voted against extending the district, angered over months of delays, Ellman reticence in turning over financial information and the terms of the deal that's currently on the table. But three council members and mayor Manross voted in favor of the extending the deadline, reasoning that the city can always turn down the deal in the future.

The city and Ellman can now begin negotiating in earnest on the massive redevelopment project, which is proposed to be built at the southeast corner of McDowell and Scottsdale roads in south Scottsdale. A 17,500-seat ice hockey arena will be the cornerstone of a 1.75 million-sf entertainment and shopping complex. Last week, in a "terms sheet" he presented to the city Ellman painted in broad strokes what he hopes to build and the financial agreement he expects to sign with the city, but now the two sides have to fill in the fine details.