The March 9 vote by Scottsdale residents came just weeks after developer Steve Ellman notified the city that he was pulling out of an agreement that would have given him more than $36.7 million in tax subsidies to redevelop the long-vacant mall at McDowell and Scottsdale roads. The referendum question officially ended Ellman's plans to turn the 42 acres into a big box retail center.
Scottsdale officials insisted the question remain on the ballot despite Ellman's decision to pull out of the project. The developer, however, has indicated he is working on new plans for the site. The referendum question prompted more than 33,000 residents to cast ballots in what was the third-highest voter turnout in Scottsdale in five years.
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