Judge Hears Arguments In Talking Stick Resort Arena Public Records Case Against Phoenix
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A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Tuesday heard arguments over whether Phoenix has to turn over documents related to renovations at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
A downtown landowner had requested documents, and while the city did turn over some of what he’d asked for, it did not give him a feasibility study the Suns had paid for.
The Show reached out to the city of Phoenix about this. A spokesperson said the city can’t talk about ongoing litigation, but did send us a statement, which reads:
"The city temporarily has withheld the Suns’ conceptual design and construction documents regarding a renovation of Talking Stick Resort Arena (TSRA). As reported in the media previously, the city of Phoenix and the Suns have had discussions about renovating the city-owned TSRA. And as the city’s contractually-designated operator of TSRA, the Suns have shared confidential documents with the city that describe the conceptual scope of proposed renovations and cost estimates. At least for now, disclosing these documents could prevent the city from receiving the best price for the work outlined in those documents. Arizona state laws (ARS 34-603(H)(1), 38-431.03(A)(4), (7)) support the city’s position. Generally, state law protects the procurement and negotiation process of public works projects—like renovations of the city-owned TSRA—against public records requests until a final contract has been awarded. When negotiations conclude, the procurement/negotiation file would be available as a public record."
Attorney Alexander Kolodin, president of Kolodin Law Group, joined The Show to talk about the case and Tuesday's arguments. Kolodin, along with the Goldwater Institute, represents the landowner.
