Mayor Elaine Scruggs’
2006 State of the City Business Address
February 9, 2006
Glendale Civic Center
(Find a specific section of the speech by clicking the links below:
Introduction | Downtown | Jobing.com Arena | Westgate & Zanjero
Stadium | Annexation | Jobs | City Council Goals)
ALONG WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY INSIDE OUR ARENA, THERE WAS ALSO A LOT HAPPENING OUTSIDE THE VENUE IN 2005.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON PHASE ONE OF WESTGATE CITY CENTER. THIS PHASE IS SCHEDULED FOR A SEPTEMBER OPENING WITH A THEATER, SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
IN ADDITION, TWO RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS WILL SOON BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN WESTGATE AT 93RD AVENUE AND COYOTES BOULEVARD. “THE QUARTER” WILL FEATURE 171 OWNER-OCCUPIED CONDOS AND THE ALEXAN WILL BE A 251-UNIT LUXURY APARTMENT COMMUNITY.
AN EXTREMELY EXCITING PROJECT THAT GOT OFF THE GROUND IN 2005 IS OUR FIRST LUXURY HOTEL.
JOHN Q. HAMMONS, ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP HOTELIERS, IS BUILDING A 320-ROOM, FOUR-DIAMOND MARRIOTT RENAISSANCE HOTEL IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF OUR ARENA.
THE CITY OF GLENDALE IS PARTNERING WITH MR. HAMMONS TO BUILD AN 80,000-SQUARE-FOOT CONFERENCE CENTER. WE WILL ALSO BUILD A PARKING STRUCTURE ON THE SITE TO SERVE THE HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER.
IF YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF ALL THE ACTION FOR YOUR FAVORITE CONCERT OR ONE OF THE UPCOMING NATIONAL SPORTING EVENTS, THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER SHOULD BE YOUR HOME BASE!
IF YOU ARE AN OUTDOORS ENTHUSIAST, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT LAST YEAR ALSO BROUGHT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CABELA’S COMING TO GLENDALE. CABELA’S IS THE WORLD’S FOREMOST OUTFITTER OF HUNTING, FISHING, CAMPING AND OUTDOOR GEAR.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN DECEMBER ON THEIR 165,000-SQUARE-FOOT STORE LOCATED IN THE ZANJERO DEVELOPMENT NORTH OF GLENDALE AVENUE BETWEEN 91ST AND 95TH AVENUES. CABELA’S ANTICIPATES OPENING FOR BUSINESS IN LATE SUMMER OF THIS YEAR.
SIMPLY PUT, GLENDALE HAS REELED IN THE BIG ONE.
THE REASON WHY CABELA’S IS SUCH … “A BIG CATCH” … FOR GLENDALE IS THAT THIS PROJECT IS MUCH MORE THAN A RETAIL STORE. CABELA’S WILL SERVE AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION LIKE WE’VE NEVER SEEN IN OUR CITY --- OR IN THE WHOLE VALLEY, FOR THAT MATTER.
CABELA’S ANTICIPATES DRAWING MORE THAN FOUR MILLION VISITORS TO ITS GLENDALE LOCATION IN THE FIRST YEAR ALONE. THAT NUMBER IS COMPARABLE TO THE NUMBER OF VISITORS THE GRAND CANYON DRAWS ANNUALLY!
MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF THE VISITORS WILL BE FROM NEIGHBORING STATES AS THE GLENDALE STORE WILL BE CABELA’S FIRST LOCATION IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE OUT-OF-STATE TOURISTS WILL SPEND $300-$400 MILLION ON SUCH SERVICES AS LODGING, ENTERTAINMENT AND FOOD. IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE AS MANY AS 400 NEW JOBS.
THIS IS ALL VERY GOOD NEWS FOR THE ECONOMY IN GLENDALE AND THROUGHOUT THE WEST VALLEY.
THE ENTIRE ZANJERO MASTER-PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IS DEFINITELY DRAWING A HUGE AMOUNT OF INTEREST. EXPECT FREQUENT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MORE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE COMING WEEKS AS THE LAND IN ZANJERO IS QUICKLY BOUGHT UP BY BUSINESSES SEEING THE CERTAINTY OF SUCCESS IN WESTERN GLENDALE.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN ALL YOU COULD SEE IN OUR WESTERN AREA WERE FARM FIELDS AND COYOTES . . . NOT THE HOCKEY PLAYERS, BUT THE FOUR-LEGGED ONES?
IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO, WAS IT?
LIKE MOST OF YOU I AM CONTINUALLY AMAZED AT ALL THAT HAS TRANSPIRED IN WESTERN GLENDALE IN JUST FIVE SHORT YEARS. |
