GLENDALE, AZ — It has been eight years since Glendale hosted the Super Bowl at what was then the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Besides the stadium’s name, Deputy City Manager Brent Stoddard says a lot has changed in the West Valley.
First, Glendale Avenue was rebuilt and repaved leading right to the sports and entertainment district.
“The infrastructure, the aesthetics, the landscaping, everything has to brand us in that way too, so we've made major investment in that area,” Stoddard said.
There’s the new Desert Diamond Casino and new restaurants and shops around Westgate.
There are also more hotels. Stoddard says in 2015, the city had about 1,000 hotel rooms available. Today, they have over 1,500. By 2024, they’re projected to reach over 3,000.
The new Vai Resort, which is still under construction, will help them reach that number.
The city said it was expected to be completed before the Super Bowl, originally as Crystal Lagoons, but the project took new ownership and is now expanding to be much bigger. The company says it’ll now open in late 2023.
