Bidwill business park near Westgate in Glendale could generate big numbers
The Bidwill family's planned business park just south of University of Phoenix Stadium would generate $2.6 billion a year and create nearly 23,000 direct and indirect jobs after completion, according to an economic impact report by Valley economist Elliott Pollack.
cbd101, the NFL family's $1.2 billion office, retail and residential district, also would produce a total of $2.1 billion and nearly 20,000 direct and indirect jobs over the course of its decade-long build out along Loop 101 at Bethany Home Road in Glendale.
Glendale leaders' efforts to lure the Arizona Cardinals stadium, concert and hockey arena and the expanding Westgate City Center have helped the city net the 4.6 million-square-foot office project, said Pollack.
"This represents the continuation of really what is happening in Glendale, AZ through conscious choices they have made," said Pollack, "They have changed the face of Glendale, and that will mean more upscale development but also more (employment) choices for citizens on the west side and more tax revenue to meet their needs."
Construction alone will dump $16.8 million in sales-tax revenue into Glendale coffers, with the city getting another $10.1 million each year after completion.
Blueprints for cbd101, which stands for "central business district," call for 2.6 million square feet of office space with as many as a dozen large corporate buildings along Loop 101; a 36-story tower with residential, office and hotel space; shops, restaurants and a farmers market; three stand-alone hotels; more than 900 residential units; and an organic farm.
Tim Bidwill said he was struck by the fact that the economic impact of February's Super Bowl, estimated at more than $400 million, pales in comparison to the $2.6 billion annual output of the project.
According to recent estimates by the Maricopa Association of Governments, the office jobs-to-population in Glendale was one-fifth of the countywide average. cbd101 and other nearby office projects would change that, creating jobs and reducing commutes for West Valley residents, said project consultant Michael Rushman.
"The project draws from a huge West Valley labor force, which disporportionately drives enormous distances to get to their jobs," he said. "If employers locate 25 miles closer to workers' homes, they will snag them."
Residents from the Pendergast Estates county island, which abuts cbd101, have voiced concerns that the 77-acre project would bring more congestion to their streets.
But Rushman said the development team has abandoned plans to connect Pendergast streets to major arterial roads, preserving neighborhood cul-de-sacs.
The city's Planning Commission is expected to review the project on Jan. 3, with the City Council taking it up on Jan. 22.
Scott Wong ,The Arizona Republic ,Dec. 14, 2007 03:18 PM
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