ASU a step closer to sports mecca

Maricopa County has created a special revenue district that will allow Arizona State University to develop or refurbish athletic facilities, the first step in a long-term plan by ASU to create an amateur sports destination, the Arizona Republic reports.

According to the Republic, the county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to create the district, giving ASU the ability to collect revenue from commercial developments on 300-plus acres of property the university owns on or around its Tempe campus.

"A new revenue district will raise money to improve ASU athletic facilities such as Sun Devil Stadium and contribute toward a long-term vision by the school and President Michael Crow," the Republic reports.