2004 Chamber Business Luncheon Address

Mayor Elaine Scruggs

February 3, 2004

Thank you for that “super” introduction and good afternoon—it's great to be with you today.

It really has been an unbelievable and historic year for our city in so many ways. The most visible of our successes in 2003 occurred on December 26, when we welcomed visitors into the Jobing.com Arena for the very first event.

On that night a new era in sports and entertainment events began in Arizona. And it began right here in Glendale.

Our arena was built in record time—and it was done when our national and local economies were severely depressed—a time when major commercial developments in other local cities were delayed indefinitely.

But we did succeed—just as we said we would.

Already, our arena is making an immediate impact in "kick starting" development of Westgate City Center.

Before the doors to our Jobing.com Arena opened for events, a press conference was held to announce the first tenants in the entertainment village section of Westgate City Center.

The Westgate Entertainment Village will feature over 450,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment uses.

Loews Cineplex Entertainment will develop a 20-screen theater with 4000 stadium-style seats. Features that set this theater apart from what we have presently in the valley include premium and reserved seating, enhanced customer service programs, and an upscale café for patrons.

Loews will anchor one end of the three-block long entertainment village --- and our arena will anchor the other.

In between the theater and arena will be a variety of exciting new restaurants and retailers. These are the restaurants introduced at the press conference.

• Mastro’s Steakhouse which will develop a steak and seafood restaurant similar to those they have in Scottsdale and Beverly Hills
• Maloney’s/Cocomo Joes will develop an entertainment facility with a restaurant and bar, games, and a rock-and-roll themed bowling center
• Fox Restaurant Group will develop two restaurants at Westgate: one will be “Bloom” —which has been hugely popular at their Scottsdale location—and a new concept now under design
• Westgate will also host Martini Ranch—a dynamic concept now in Scottsdale and San Diego
• and Thaifoon, an award-winning modern Asian restaurant, which began in Scottsdale and has grown to California and Utah will also be coming to Glendale

These popular venues will be making their first appearance in the west valley. For so long west valley residents have asked why we don’t have some of the unique restaurants which seem to locate primarily in the northeast part of our valley.

Well, here they come. Owners and executives from each of the restaurants—as well as the Loew’s Cineplex—were present for the December 22 press conference. All expressed their enthusiasm about the arena, the Westgate project, the opportunities in the west valley, and their readiness to open for business here in Glendale.

It is important to mention that while the press conference focused only on tenants for the entertainment village, news about tenants in other sections of Westgate city center will be released throughout the coming months.

Our arena’s neighbor to the south, of course, is a little project owned by the state of Arizona—the $335 million multi-purpose domed stadium being built by the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority.

This stadium project is the single-largest construction project in Arizona. This is very good news for both our local and state economy.

These extraordinary projects in progress in the western area of Glendale exemplify our city's expanding, regional economic development emphasis.

But not all the business news in 2003 was happening in western Glendale.

In July 2003 a development agreement with Lund Cadillac was approved for construction of a four-brand luxury dealership on a 17-acre site at the northwest corner of 83rd Avenue and Bell Road.

We are proud and obviously pleased to welcome Lund - the world’s largest Cadillac and Hummer and Saab dealer to Glendale.

Ok. By now you are thinking I said four brands but only named three. Alfa Romeo will be the fourth brand to join the Lund complex in the future.

This project represents an estimated capital investment of $25 million and will add 350 well-paying jobs in our city. Lund expects to be open for business in 2005.

New capital investment helps to keep our economy healthy. It creates new employment opportunities. In many cases, it also generates new revenue for our city. It is often a catalyst enabling future businesses to flourish.

Generally we hear about new capital investment when it comes from new companies moving into Glendale.

But very often-new capital investment comes from existing businesses that are re-investing in our communities with expansions and renovations—or by adding locations.

Today I want to take time to acknowledge and thank existing companies—both large and small—that have contributed greatly to Glendale’s business community successes in 2003.

One of those is Banner Thunderbird Medical Center—which has literally “grown up” with our community. In 1960 it was known as Northwest Hospital, located on Northern and 61st Avenues, where it served Glendale’s population of less than 34,000.

In the 1980’s it made what seemed like a radical and questionable decision when it selected a site surrounded by open fields on Thunderbird Road at 55th Avenue.

Since changing its name to Thunderbird Hospital and moving to its present site in 1983, it has continued to expand and reinvest in Glendale in order to meet the west valley’s growing needs.

Just last month, Banner Thunderbird, opened a new pediatric unit and expanded its medical-surgical department. The hospital also is currently doubling the size of its laboratory and will soon be expanding its emergency and medical imaging departments.

Always looking to future needs, Banner Thunderbird is already is making plans to build an additional patient tower and expand its pediatric program.

In total, more than $36 million dollars will be spent on these expansion projects!

Thank you - Banner Thunderbird - for your years of dedicated service to our city and our region.

Glendale is particularly fortunate to be home to another outstanding hospital and medical complex—Arrowhead Hospital at the northeast corner of 67th Avenue and Union Hills Road.

Arrowhead is another success story that first opened its doors far from the developed area of Glendale. It wasn’t in farm fields—but it was in the midst of orange groves.

In 2003 Arrowhead Hospital celebrated 15 years of excellent service to a very fast growing population. It also added its third medical office building on campus.

And, beginning this summer, Arrowhead will undergo a huge expansion project to double its current patient capacity and add new services.

Thank you, Arrowhead Hospital, for your commitment during the lean Arrowhead years and your confidence in Glendale.

And, of course, one of the greatest success stories in Glendale belongs to your own chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Dr. Kathleen Goeppinger.

Under Kathy’s leadership, Midwestern University has made a $65 million capital investment in our city in less than a decade. With a current annual payroll of more than $18 million, this private institution of higher education is a huge economic engine in Glendale.

In 2003, a family practice medical clinic and a student center were added to Midwestern’s campus at 59th Avenue and Utopia Road.

The campus now has 22 buildings and more than 1200 students.

This year, podiatry and nursing anesthesia programs are slated to begin at the university .

Thank you Midwestern University for choosing Glendale to be home for your prestigious medical programs—and thank you, Kathy, for all you give personally in volunteer service to our city.

Automobile dealerships have always been a critical part of every city’s business community. For decades, sales tax revenue from cars sold by Glendale dealers paid a huge part of the costs of running our city.

But times changed and our Glendale Avenue car row location hasn’t competed well with opportunities to locate next to freeway off ramps.

We are grateful to those owners who have made the decision to stay on Glendale Avenue. Owners such as David Guida and Pat Neve—who passed up opportunities to move west—and instead will be re-investing in their current location which has been West Valley Nissan’s home since 1971.

To David and Pat and to Mark Dubowy of Mark Mitsubishi, and Tim Corwin and Jeff McConville of Glendale Pontiac GMC—thank you for your commitment to Glendale.

We are extremely fortunate to have two of the largest volume and most successful automobile dealers in the entire nation right here in Glendale.

Sands Chevrolet, which opened in Glendale in 1934, and Sanderson Ford, which opened here in 1955. They have both been an invaluable part of helping Glendale get to where we are today.

And in 2003 both Buzz Sands owner of Sands Chevrolet and David Kimmerle owner of Sanderson Ford made renewed commitments and hefty capital investments.

Sands Chevrolet is staying at its current location at 53rd and Grand Avenues, but you may not recognize it when the project is done. All existing buildings will be demolished and replaced with a brand new, contemporary auto dealership facility. More than $15 million will have been invested by Sands, and jobs will double from 250 to 500.

Not too far from this project is Sanderson Ford’s brand new 81,000 square foot truck sales and service center. Located just south of the Sanderson Ford auto dealership, this new facility added 50 more jobs and a $5.6 million capital investment in Glendale.

There just isn’t enough that can be said about all that Buzz and Dave and their families have done for Glendale over the past decades. Besides the stability their businesses provided for Glendale’s economy, they are both philanthropists, giving generously of their time and their money.

Thank you gentlemen, on behalf of all of Glendale.

A discussion about 2003 business successes in Glendale would not be complete without acknowledging the very important role small businesses have in the sustainability of our economy.

It is exciting to be able to tell you about two small businesses that are expanding right here in Glendale.

One of these companies is Knaack Insurance, which has been located in downtown Glendale for the last 11 years.

In 2003 Yvonne Knaack began the process to construct three new office buildings on the corner of 55th and Glendale Avenues. When completed, Yvonne will move her State Farm Insurance business into one of those buildings, and the other two will be leased out to tenants.

Thank you, Yvonne. We are thrilled about the wonderful enhancement you are making to our downtown community.

Another downtown business also saw an opportunity to expand in the area last year.

After experiencing seven successful years of operating, Haus Murphy's Restaurant, Brett and Rose Hoffman opened a second eatery in 2003 called Hoffman’s at 57th.

They renovated and transformed a 100-year-old home just a few blocks away from Murphy’s into a turn-of-the-century, European-style restaurant that specializes in Austrian-Italian cuisine.

Thank you Brett and Rose for all you have been doing to bring folks to downtown Glendale and keep them coming back.

Without the private investment dollars put into the continued redevelopment of downtown Glendale, we would never have been able to achieve the enviable reputation we have as a city that celebrates its past while setting a course for an even brighter future.

In appreciation and recognition of all that has been done to benefit Glendale by these businesses that I’ve talked about today—for their commitment . . . belief . . .and willingness to invest in our community—the city of Glendale would like to host them at an event in our city suite at our Jobing.com Arena.

During the past few weeks so many friends have asked me if I would be revealing any new surprises here today.

What? Three professional sports teams; a premier college football bowl game; the largest commercial venture going on anywhere in the state; a soon-to-be updated regional mall; several new 10-20 acre commercial centers; the rebirth of Glendale’s original mall at 59th and Northern; a downtown that other cities envy and try to emulate; the best special events in the state - and, oh - Bette Midler in the Jobing.com Arena in just 9 days are not enough?

Well, I guess I can tell you about one more new business coming to Glendale.

A contingent from Arizona just arrived back home last night from Houston where we began our initial training to learn what is expected of us as we prepare to welcome the biggest business in the world to Glendale—the NFL Super Bowl.

Everything we have ever done in the way of preparing for a new business by making infrastructure improvements, implementing public safety and homeland security measures, putting our water, sewer, and sanitation capacities to the ultimate test, creating innovative traffic management techniques, and so much more will be used as the basis to get ready for what is recognized as the world’s greatest sporting event.

But that is in 2008. Today is all about you.

Your imagination, vision and hard work throughout the years have helped form the very heart of Glendale’s economy.

The jobs you create, the sales tax revenue you generate and the financial stability you provide continue to significantly contribute to Glendale's economic health.

You have made it possible for us to have the confidence to expand ourselves in new directions.

My wish for you is that all new developments in the city of Glendale will bring rewards back to each of you in your businesses.

There is a saying that a candle loses nothing by lighting another. You have helped to make it possible for thousands of candles to burn brightly in Glendale.

We have achieved many of our goals.

We have gained the freeway system necessary to attract businesses.  

We have recognized that we are a very small city in land mass and have chosen the highest producing uses for our precious resource of developable land.  

We have made Glendale a true destination—not just another bedroom community suburb.  

We have won over most of our harshest critics.

We have done things that we were told were not possible.

We are well on our way to securing our best possible future.

What’s left to do? Well there are still a few things on my list—but I want to save those for another day.

Today is a day to celebrate a year of success unlike any seen anywhere in Maricopa County.

Today is a day to thank you - our business community - to thank the members and staff of our energetic and vibrant Glendale Chamber of Commerce—to thank my boldly courageous colleagues on the Glendale City Council—to thank the hard-working and dedicated management and staff of the city of Glendale.

Just about everyone knows by now that I believe very strongly in the future of Glendale. I think you also believe in us.

As you look back at what made 2003 meaningful, please join me in also looking forward to 2004 with confidence, optimism and enthusiasm.

I want to thank the Glendale Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to once again share with you the progress Glendale is making toward our goal of achieving the best economic future for our businesses, our residents and our community.

Thank you and have a great and successful year!