The Phoenix City Council will vote Wednesday, Dec. 12, on a $230 million arena renovation deal that could keep the Phoenix Suns in downtown until 2042.

The National Basketball Association team has been asking the city for a new or significantly updated arena for years, but has been unable get the council to publicly consider a deal until now.

Deal details

Phoenix pays $150 million for arena renovations.

Suns pay $80 million for renovations.

After the renovation, Phoenix will pay $2 million annually for 12½ years into a new renewal and replacement fund, which will be used for future renovation needs.

Suns will pay $1 million into the new fund for 12½ years.

Suns will continue to operate and maintain the building, including booking concerts and other events.

Suns will continue to pay rent to the city (calculated as a percentage of annual proceeds).

Suns will build a new practice facility (estimated to cost $25-$50 million) somewhere in Phoenix.

Suns commit to staying in downtown through 2037 with an option to extend the lease to 2042. If they leave before 2037, they will face up to a $200 million fine.

Where is this money coming from?

The Suns and Phoenix evenly split the nearly $100 million price on the arena when it was built in the early 1990s. The city still owes about $8 million on the building.

If the council approves the deal, Phoenix will pay for its $150 million share of the renovations through its existingSports Facilities Fund, which consists of taxes levied primarily ontourists for things like hotel room and car rentals.

The revenue from that tax was originally earmarked for the downtown arena and other tourism-related projects, but the council has discretion to allocate it to other purposes.

According to the city, Phoenix's share of the renovation will cover necessary infrastructure repairs such as plumbing updates, electrical work and roofing repairs.

"This is our building," Mayor Thelda Williams said. "It's our responsibility."

The Suns will be responsible for providing other "luxury" enhancements, like suite upgrades, she said.

Renovations would occur between 2019 and 2021.

Suns could leave if deal not approved

The Suns committed to a 40-year lease in 1992, but the agreement includes a provision for the Suns to opt out at 30 years if the building — one of the oldest in the NBA — is considered obsolete.

That could allow the Suns to leave downtown Phoenix in 2022 if there's no new agreement.

Suns owner Robert Sarver has hinted for years that he could move the team to another location in the Valley, or possibly out of state. It's unclear whether any other market has expressed serious interest in the team.

If the Suns leave, Phoenix would have to take over operations and maintenance of the building, and would still have to invest in significant infrastructure repairs if it wants to attract concerts and other events, according to the city.

City Manager Ed Zuercher said that because the city already owns the building, it has very limited options besides working with the team or letting the team leave and paying for needed repairs on its own.

Otherwise, the building could deteriorate like the often-vacant Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the fairgrounds, where the Suns once played.

"We can't let that happen in downtown Phoenix," he said.

Public has one week to weigh in

The details of the plan were released publicly Thursday night, less than a week before the council will vote on it.

A new sports facility would require a public vote, but a renovation only requires council approval.

Although the city has met with attorneys and consultants in executive session for more than three years to discuss the arena, it has rarely solicited public input on the potential investment.

The last time the arena was publiclydiscussed at a City Council meeting was last December, when the council approved an additional $125,000 for its sports consultant.

OPINION: Roberts: Will citizens get a say before Phoenix votes on Suns arena deal?

Why move so fast?

Why are the Suns and Phoenix working so quickly to push through this deal? The answer is twofold.

The city is running up against a July 1 deadline. Under its original lease with the Suns, the process to determine whether the arena is obsolete (which would allow the Suns to leave in 2022) will begin this summer, unless the city and team reach a deal.

The Suns' motivation to move quickly after years of back-and-forth is likely political. The council now includes an interim mayor and two interim council members.

Former Councilwoman Kate Gallego, who is running for mayor, had a strong showing in the November election and is the front-runner for the city's top spot going into the runoff election in March.

Gallego has said publicly that she will not support arena updates funded with taxpayer money.

"We have a number of competing priorities and tough choices we have to make if we're going to fuel our growth and build on recent progress in Phoenix. While I intend to be a partner with the Suns on the many great things they do for the city, it is not in Phoenix's best interest to invest in an arena," she said in a statement in November 2017.

With the uncertainty over who will be at the city's helm in a few months, now may be the best shot the Suns have at getting the city to foot at least part of the bill for arena upgrades.

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