I went to the Coyotes games last night. It is the NEW NHL preseason. We sat lower level, and the tickets were free. It was interesting how being that close to the ice, and everything it wasn't any colder than and air conditioned building anywhere else. The NEW NHL has a few more rules. The Coyotes lost, but that was alright because there was a lot of fights, well not a lot but enough to make it count.
The only downfall of going to this game was the fact that it was WAY WAY WAY far away. I thought I had actually gone to far, and pasted the exit. When I had thought this, it was only about 5 miles more. The bonus to having to go so far was okay because I got on one interstate and went.
When we got there, parking was free (added bonus) and there was a shuttle to the gate (even though we ended up walking back to the car after the game because it wasn't that far at all).
Between periods I wanted to go and look around the building. I wanted to see how this place was designed. I must say the women's bathroom had good design! We then discovered a rather large model of sorts. Looking at it I wasn't clear what it was, then I heard a man tell his son that this was how it was going to look soon. Come to find out they are finding the Cardinals stadium up there, along with a LARGE shopping center, a conference center, and more. A hotel section, residential and parking spaces to hold enough for the 2 stadiums.
At first I was glad that they were having combined parking, so that our land doesn't have to be a paved place, but really one the way back I didn't see the need for the shopping center plus. There was so much of that one the way back down the interstate.
Urban Sprawl is all that Phoenix is, but I didn't see why they had to this complex. It was an under developed land, but so is much of the land around the city. They are even planning on moving the interstate to accommodate this new WestWridge (think that is what it was called) project. The building designs seemed to be structural pleasing, but why not do the residential place unto of the shops, instead of a completely new area. The shopping area is outside shops, which is good for AC purposes, but still has a water feature. I thought we were in the desert in a drought, but what pleases people is water so why not please them, so the spend more money.
There was a lot more that could be done with this to make it create less urban sprawl, but I suppose the bright side is the parking.
