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Buckeye leaders say major employers, retail projects and millions of square feet of development are reshaping the city
Summary
Mayor Eric Orsborn and Economic Development Director Susie Boyles outlined recent and planned commercial developments in Buckeye, naming new employers and retail projects and citing 9.2 million square feet under development and about 30 million square feet of employment projects in the pipeline.
Mayor Eric Orsborn said Buckeye is attracting large employers and retail projects that will add thousands of jobs and millions of square feet of commercial space to the city.
In a presentation to city stakeholders, Orsborn said Amazon will open a distribution hub creating more than 700 jobs, Ross Dress for Less will open a distribution center creating about 1,300 jobs, and other companies including Blue Polymers and Rarig Pacific are adding about 60 and more than 100 jobs respectively. “These companies solidify Buckeye's position as a hub for innovation and opportunity,” he said.
Why it matters: Economic development officials said new employers and retail anchors are expected to reduce commuting out of Buckeye, expand local services and spur further housing and infrastructure investment.
Economic Development Director Susie Boyles said the city currently has about 9,200,000 square feet of development underway or planned and nearly 30,000,000 square feet of employment projects in the pipeline. “We offer a lot of the site selection needs that these businesses want,” Boyles said. She added that over the past four years the city has helped bring an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 jobs to Buckeye.
The presentation listed named retail and mixed-use projects: Sci High's Buckeye Commons East (which the mayor said will bring Home Depot, Over Easy and Slim Chickens), Vastar's Verrado Marketplace, a 500,000-square-foot hub including Harkins Backlot, Safeway and Total Wine, Sprouts Farmers Market locations, and a Fry's Grocery under construction on Miller Road. The mayor and Boyles also cited new grocery and fuel retail development near Sun Valley Parkway and Tartesso, and ongoing interest in multifamily and healthcare-serving retail.
Officials framed the projects as parts of a long-term buildout in Buckeye's 640-square-mile planning area, where the mayor said roughly 16% is built out. Boyles said the city is seeing diversified development spanning employment, retail, entertainment and health care.
Ending: Officials asked residents and businesses to watch city communications for project timelines and planning opportunities. No formal council votes or approvals were announced during the presentation.
