PHOENIX — If you’ve driven by 99th Avenue and McDowell Road, it’s clear that BIG things are coming.
Back in 2022, Thompson Thrift bought 21 acres of land in west Phoenix, and the development of its shopping center and residential area is finally coming to life.
Chris Hake, director of the Southwest region for Thompson Thrift, shares what’s to come to this area over the next few years.
TENANTS TO COME
Although there are still some things yet to be approved, here’s what is set to open at this shopping center.
“Our site plans are approved, that has a grocery-anchored box on it, some inline shopping spaces as well, and then you’ll have five pad sites that we anticipate single tenant users going on,” said Hake.
- Sprouts Farmers Market: This chain will be the grocery anchor for the development. Thompson Thrift could potentially deliver the space to Sprouts come September 2024 and the chain could “open shortly after that," according to Hake.
![“Adjacent to Sprouts, what we call in-line, so there will be shops [multi-tenanted shops] attached to both the east and west side of Sprouts,” said Hake. “And [then] there will be a handful of other tenants in those multi-tenanted shops as well.”](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a33929f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1376x768+0+0/resize/1280x714!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7c%2F1e%2Ff336fa2147479cd692c5c9ce9f0e%2Fscreen-shot-2022-06-02-at-12-57-43-pm-4.jpg)
- Torchy’s Tacos, Shake Shack and Hawaiian Bros Island Grill have also signed on to the developmental project, according to Hake.
“Those are three pretty exciting restaurants that we’ve got signed up for the project already,” Hake told ABC15. “They should all be opening sometime at the end of 2024, on the general same time frame as Sprouts.”
RESIDENTIAL AREA
More than just shopping and new eating destinations, half the acreage bought will be used for “luxury apartment homes.”
“The northern part of the acreage that we own will be developed as multifamily down the road. That project we hope to have online and start construction towards the end of next year,” said Hakes.
“IT WAS HARD”
For locals who have grown up in this area, you’ve been accustomed to seeing this land empty, fenced, and unused for quite some time - so why build here now?
Hake tells ABC15 that it was obvious that the land that Thompson Thrift acquired was “tremendous real estate” and that it has a lot of exposure from drivers of Interstate 10 and Loop 101. The company purchased 21 acres of the undeveloped land.
![“Half of the property is subdivided by the Roosevelt Irrigation District Canal, so we have some of the acreage sits on 99th [and] some of the acreage sits on McDowell,” explained Hakes.](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/17b2be2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1376x768+0+0/resize/1280x714!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff2%2F20%2F44ac5dcb4a5598344073f076f61d%2Fscreen-shot-2022-06-02-at-12-57-43-pm-5.jpg)
The canal and the roads surrounding that area were, to an extent, a challenge for the development, according to Hakes.
“We had to work closely with the Roosevelt Irrigation District to seek approvals, to cross that canal twice,” explained Hakes. “And then the roads that are surrounding the site with 99th [Ave] and McDowell, there’s a lot of jurisdictions that govern those roads. Whether it be Maricopa County, Tolleson, Glendale, city of Phoenix - we had to work with all those groups collectively to show them our plan, show them the improvements we want to make, and ultimately get sign-off from all of those groups.”
As of now, the mixed-use project doesn’t have an official name, but an announcement may come within a couple of months.
Approvals are still needed for this development to be a “Go” for its construction phase.
“As long as we get our approvals from the city of Phoenix and those other municipalities [that] we need approvals from on our final permit site and building plans, then yes, we’re anticipating starting construction in very early September,” said Hake.
*The video in the player above showcases new entertainment ventures and more in the Valley. Read more about it, right here.
