Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

On March 16^th, Brian Friedman, Glendale Economic Development Director, and Tony Lydon, National Director of Jll, Inc., offered a virtual WestMarc presentation on the state of economic development in Glendale. Here is the link: https://www.westmarc.org/city-of-glendale/ .

There were several important ‘take aways‘ presented to viewers. One concept was there are 3 major skylines in the Valley – Phoenix, Tempe and now, Glendale. Elliot Pollack said 15 years ago that Glendale would become the geographic center of the Valley. Not only is that happening but it is growing into a major economic presence within the Valley. Much of the material Brian and Tony presented prove it.

Did you know that when Glendale hosts the Super Bowl in 2023, there will be a dozen hotels in the Westgate/Zanjero area offering over 2,000 rooms? There are already 50 restaurants in the Westgate/Zanjero area, and more are coming. In addition, the Crystal Lagoon project will offer an additional 3 hotels with another estimated 600 rooms. Add the stadium and the arena along with AMC Theater, TopGolf and a future indoor shooting range. Shopping preferences are offered from Cabela’s to Tanger Outlets to small boutique shops.

Another ‘take away’ was the abundance of the work force. The West Valley now has a population of 1.7 million and as new, affordable residential communities spring up more people arrive every day. Many of the new residents are highly technically trained and as the new breed of manufacturing and distribution centers come online these are exactly the work force being hired.

A third ‘take away’ is new infrastructure that attracts major industrial/manufacturing/commercial users. Through significant partnerships water and sewer is becoming abundant in the area of the Loop 303, necessities for large users. Transportation corridors are in place from Northern Parkway (which will connect with the Loop 101 by 2026), the Loop 303 and the Loop 101. All provide easy and fast access to the I-10 and the I-17, interstate highways. There is also a railroad spur that serves large manufacturers like White Claw and Red Bull.

Here is a recap of the 11 commercial projects in the Yucca district either approved, under construction or completed:

• Westgate district shops, 9405 W. Glendale Avenue
• EOS Fitness, 5070 N. 83^rd Avenue
• En Fuego at Westgate, northeast corner of Glendale Avenue and Zanjero Blvd.
• Fox Aviation Hangar 6781 N. Glen Harbor Blvd.
• Glendale Avenue Storage, 10911 W. Glenn Drive
• Great Lawn Pavilion, 9600 W. Sportsman Park
• Starbucks Coffee Shop, 91^st Avenue and Glendale Avenue
• Westgate Tesla Service Facility, 9245 W. Glendale Avenue
• Jack in the Box, 9152 W. Glendale Avenue
• Westgate Medical Office, 9950 W. Glendale Avenue
• Holiday Inn, 6151 N. 99^th Avenue

Here are the 12 industrial projects in the Yucca district either approved, under construction or completed:

• T2/Red Bull expansion, 10501 N. Reems Road
• Polar Bear-White Claw expansion, 9601 N. Reems Road
• Park 303, Buildings A and B, 6620 N. Sarival Road
• Ball expansion, 15101 W. Peoria Avenue
• Barclay 303 Logistics Center, 16801 W. Glendale Avenue
• G303, 6605 N. Sarival Avenue
• RBNA, 10001 N. Reems Road
• 303 Project, Sarival Avenue and W. Maryland Avenue
• Bethany Business Park, Cotton Road and W. Bethany Home Road
• Commerce 303, 15600 W. Camelback Road
• The Cubes at Glendale, Reems Road and Orangewood Avenue
• 303 Commerce Center, N. Cotton Lane

Here is one miscellaneous project in the Yucca district, ether approved, under construction or completed:

• Zanjero Sante Assisted Living, 7410 N. Zanjero Blvd.

Here are the 7 multi-family projects in the Yucca district, either approved, under construction or completed:

• Bungalows at Westgate, 7403 N. 91^st Avenue
• Bethany Crossing, 6253 N. 69^th Avenue
• Cardinals 95, 9600 W. Georgia Avenue
• Zanjero II, 7200 N. 91^st Avenue
• Acero at the Stadium, 5550 N. 95^th Avenue
• Mera Westgate, 7460 N. Zanjero Blvd.
• Glen 91, N. 89^th Avenue and W. Glendale Avenue

Here are the 8 residential subdivisions in the Yucca district, either approved, under construction or completed:

• Olive Grove, 71^st Avenue and Olive Avenue
• Orangewood Ranch, 7606 N. 83^rd Avenue
• El Prado, N. 80^th Avenue and W. Camelback Road
• Stonehaven, Phase I, Parcels 2-8 and 13A and 14, 9050 W. Camelback Road
• Cadence at Westgate, 89^th Avenue and W. Glendale Avenue
• Jaafar Estates, 7111 N. 83^rd Avenue
• Orangewood Terrace, 8079 W. Orangewood Avenue
• Rovey Park, 8806 W. Emil Rovey Parkway

This is a snapshot of the various projects occurring in the Yucca district. I can assure you that there are more projects in the pipeline. I read a statistic about the Yucca district that so impressed me I have never forgotten it. At the last census in 2010, the Yucca district had a population of about 41,000 and was comparable to all the other districts in Glendale. Since 2010, in the past ten years, the population in the Yucca district has doubled. I find that projection to be mind boggling! There is a staff projection (that I think is way off) that anticipates the growth in Glendale of another 40,000 people by 2024. If that is correct (which I doubt) most of that population growth occurred in the Yucca district. It would not surprise me to learn, after the 2020 census figures are available that the Yucca district’s population has doubled to about 75,000 people. It is mandated that each district have approximately equal population to all the other districts. Yucca’s population will be so great that when new district boundaries are adopted, its eastern boundary will move significantly westward. How far westward will depend upon the final growth numbers in this district.

As new commercial, industrial, and residential projects are approved in the Yucca district I will offer a new list of those projects as warranted. Glendale’s economic development continues to boom but the loudest explosion is in the Yucca district.

^{© Joyce Clark, 2021}       

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