3 companies bid to run Glendale's Gila River Arena Glendale did not release the names of the bidders nor their proposals. The deadline for submitting was Friday.

Paul Giblin | The Republic | azcentral.com

Three management firms have submitted bids to take over operations of Glendale's Gila River Arena.

The bids were submitted to Beacon Sports Capitol Partners, a Massachusetts-based sports consulting firm, that has been hired to evaluate the proposals for the city. Glendale did not release the names of the bidders nor their proposals. The deadline for submitting was Friday.

Glendale officials do not expect to review proposals for several weeks, city spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said in an email.

The NHL's Arizona Coyotes play in the arena and previously managed it, but did not submit a proposal, team spokesman Rich Nairn said in an email Friday evening. Coyotes President Anthony LeBlanc had no comment, Nairn said.

The city plans to announce finalists Jan. 4, L'Ecuyer said, and those finalists are scheduled to make presentations to city officials on Jan. 14 and 15.

The city council is expected to select a new manager on Feb. 8, she said, with the new company expected to take over the arena's operations July 1.

The current Coyotes ownership group has managed the arena since 2013.

The new management company would be expected to book sports events, concerts and other acts at the arena near the Loop 101 freeway and Glendale Avenue. The venue has played host to Taylor Swift, U2, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and many other A-list performers.

LeBlanc previously said he's uncertain whether the Coyotes have a long-term future at the 18,300-seat arena that Glendale built for the team and opened in 2003. Coyotes officials are exploring the possibilities of a new arena in downtown Phoenix and elsewhere in the region.

Earlier this year, Glendale voided a 15-year arena-management deal with the Coyotes, on the basis of potential conflicts of interest by former City Attorney Craig Tindall and former Assistant City Manager Julie Frisoni, who went on to work for the Coyotes.

City officials and Coyotes executives patched together a two-year management deal in July, and the city issued a new request for proposals to manage the arena. The deadline for proposals initially was Dec. 11, but the city extended it for a week at the request of bidders, L'Ecuyer said.

LeBlanc previously said the city's process to hire a new management firm ignores important questions about revenue splits between the team and city.

"If we’re not managing the facility, who’s selling concert suites? Who’s the concessionaires? That’s very important to us. And candidly, they refused to talk about it,” he said.