PHOENIX — The City of Phoenix is looking forward to a new development called "City North" that is currently underway near Desert Ridge Marketplace.
"This is a really exciting project for the City of Phoenix," said Christine Mackay, Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Phoenix.
Cranes and construction are visible near Loop 101 and 56th Street as the ground was just broken a few days ago.
Mackay says the area has gone through its ups and downs over the years, as others have tried to develop the land in the past.
"Now the right developer owns the property, and they put all the infrastructure in 2020," Mackay said.
Crown will develop the retail and office components of the project and Greystar is developing the multi-family portion.
When complete, the mixed-use space will feature 2,000 high-density residential units supporting some 3,800 people, along with shops and restaurants. City North hoping to attract businesses as well.
"For us, adding in the jobs, that continues to make it so the residents that live in that area don't have to commute to downtown, they don't have to go up along further on the 101 South and other areas. We're really creating that place where people live and work all in one area," she said.
City North is soon to join corporate neighbors like Mayo Clinic which just purchased 228 additional acres in the area in support of its $750 million expansion and new Center For Biomedical Discovery.
"So it's the next step in creating this really vibrant employment corridor," Mackay said.
"It really is this ideal location for a corporate headquarters for financial technology, financial services, software companies," she said.
"Over the last year, we have toured a number of companies for City North and had them meet with the developer."
And while excitement continues to build, some residents in the area have their concerns.
"I think it's growing too fast," said Robert Rohn.
Rohn has lived in the area for 45 years, and while not against development he's worried about infrastructure.
"I think there's too much residential going there for the area," he said.
"I think that the amount of residential condo projects that are going on in this end of town, we're gonna create a situation where the infrastructure that is in place is not going to be adequate to support all the new homeowners and people that are around."
Mackay acknowledges infrastructure plans halted during the Great Recession but says the city and developer have since completed numerous studies on the area and built up the land to support development.
"In Arizona growth supports growth," Mackay said.
Reassuring residents they've done their homework.
"We won't be bringing the growth without that added infrastructure," she said.
In fact, Mackay says, it's a necessity in order to make City North the project they envision for the future.
"We were just waiting for the infrastructure to finish, and I think we'll see a lot of announcements out of City North in 2022," she said.
"I think what you'll see now with City North is a constant phase of construction over the next five years until all 94 acres is completed, and it becomes this great destination location that people say 'Where are you going to?... 'Well let's meet at City North!,' And I think that's what's going to be so exciting about it," Mackay said.
If all goes according to plan, the city expects the first phase of City North to be completed and ready for residents to move in the summer of 2023.
