Planning, controversy underway for 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona

Cassandra Negley

Planning, controversy underway for 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona image

All eyes are on Super Bowl XLIX. 

Well, maybe not all eyes yet, but those in Arizona sure are. The 2015 Super Bowl will be held in Glendale, Ariz. at University of Phoenix Stadium and as with any Super Bowl, planning -- and controversy -- is already well underway. 

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The home of the Cardinals sits a stone's throw off the 101 freeway on the west side of Phoenix' cluster of cities and doesn't have the best record of good traffic flow. There are four exits back to the freeway, which means fans are getting in and out in about an hour according to azfamily.com. To remedy the situation and prepare for the second Super Bowl to be held at the stadium, crews are installing a fifth exit. It'll be a HOV exit, but with games on Sundays anyone will be able to use it.

The ease of fans back into Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe are imperative as Glendale doesn't boast many hotels for the thousands of fans, athletes and media coming into town. That's partly why the only game-related activity currently planned for Glendale is the Super Bowl. 

Fans already planning to be in Phoenix for the game can peruse local restaurants, attractions and entertainment thanks to an already-released app. The "Glendale CVB" app will help fans navigate the city and Super bowl events. 

While all of this is going on, a petition is making the rounds calling for Glendale government to not pass House Bill 2547, according to azcentral.com. The bill is a request for Super Bowl-related state funding that comes out of taxpayer dollars. The bill calls for up to $4 million to be covered for public safety related measures. 

When Glendale hosted the Super Bowl in 2008, $2.2 million was spent; that is the same amount Glendale believes it will spend on the upcoming Super Bowl. 

Nearly 700 have signed as of Feb. 13. Those who have done so believe the money should be spent on "already crumbling infrastructure" rather that "excess spending." 

The state of Arizona reportedly brought in more than 91,000 visitors with an economic impact of more than $500 when it hosted in 2008. It's looking to promote itself well enough to be a regular in the Super Bowl rotation. 

 

Cassandra Negley