Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has all but reversed its position opposing Tempe's $2.1 billion development deal with the Arizona Coyotes, an unexpected move that suggests the project's most outspoken opponent has thrown-in the towel on its yearlong effort to kill the plan.
The airport's change of heart coincided with the Tempe City Council's call for a special election last week that lets voters decide whether the Coyotes proposal gets approved. The deal involves building nearly 2,000 apartments, a hockey arena and an entertainment district on 46 acres of Tempe-owned land west of Town Lake.
The planned apartments have been in the airport's crosshairs since shortly after the project came to light last year.