As part of the agreement to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Glendale from its original site in Scottsdale, Ellman, a local developer, has the rights to purchase a deserted mall at the southeast corner of 59th and Northern avenues from the city Manistee Town Center for $11 million.

Ellman says he would like to build as much as 600,000 sf of new retail space on the site, along with a practice facility for the team and multifamily housing. Ellman says that he is also considering extending the Glen Lakes Golf Course, which is on the north side of Northern Avenue, to the northeast corner of the site.

"We've looked at Manistee for a practice facility," Ellman said last Wednesday. "It's something that's on the drawing board right now."

Ellman gets a tax break if a team practice facility comes to Manistee. The team now practices at a facility in north Scottsdale.

Ellman is now going after retailing giant Wal-Mart to anchor the new development at 59th and Northern avenues. "Wal-Mart, I believe you should move from the site you are pursuing to Manistee," he said in public comments last Wednesday when the Glendale City Council voted to spend as much as $180 million to build a 17,500-seat ice hockey arena for the team. "We want Wal-Mart at Manistee."

Wal-Mart has been pursuing a site at 51st and Olive avenues, which is about a mile north of the Manistee site. Wal-Mart hopes to build a superstore at the location, which would include a grocery store component with extended hours. But like in many other cities throughout Arizona, the residents that live nearby the proposed site don't want to see a giant store that is open into the wee hours. Glendale put in place restrictions that would keep Wal-Mart from building a superstore on the site, but voters will vote in a May 15 referendum whether to keep those restrictions in place. Given the public opposition to the superstore at the location, it seems unlikely that residents would overturn the city's current restrictions.

Last Wednesday, the Glendale City Council voted to accept a deal with the Phoenix Coyotes that will bring the team, a 17,500-seat arena and a three-million-sf commercial complex to the southwest corner of this Phoenix suburb. The city will contribute up to $180 million for the construction of the arena and, in exchange, will own it and receive all sales tax and parking revenues generated from the arena and other developments on the site, as well as a split of revenues on non-hockey events with team after the first 50 events. The team will lease the arena from the city for 30 years, but will receive free rent for the first decade and then pay about $1 million a year thereafter.

Ellman is paying roughly $13 million and another $4 million to homebuilder Roston Co. for the land option on 220 acres of vacant land on the southeast corner of Glendale Avenue and Loop 101. Ellman says he plans to ultimately build a three-million-sf commercial complex around the arena that would include hotels, a movie theater and office space. Construction on the ice hockey arena for the Coyotes will begin this summer, he says.