Published on March 23, 2023
They appeared in Maricopa seemingly overnight, stacking up like Lego off SR-238 and Loma Road. Just months later, the modular apartments known as FlatZ 520 are about to become home to hundreds of Maricopa residents. The project is just the crest of the wave of multi-family housing coming to Maricopa, unlocking previously impossible development opportunities and changing the landscape of the city in the process. “We’re very excited,” said Brandon Ryckman, Vice President of Z Modular, the developer behind the property. “We have not set an exact open date, but we are hoping for later this spring or early summer to open Phase 1.” According to Ryckman the demand is already steep even before opening, with a growing waiting list due to the fierce need for multi-family housing in Maricopa. Z Modular expects to complete phase 2 later this fall. The project is just 1 of 20 multi-family developments around the city currently in some stage of building, approval or planning. In 2019, City leaders adopted a housing plan based off the needs identified in the voter-approved General Plan, which called for a diverse housing stock in Maricopa. The plan outlines a goal of creating a balanced housing inventory to include at least 25% multi-family housing. According to the City’s Development Services Director, Rudy Lopez, right now, Maricopa is nowhere near that goal. “Even with everything we’re building and everything that’s currently in the pipeline to be built, we’re looking at hitting somewhere between 6 and 8 percent multi-family housing in the city,” said Lopez. “And to be clear, that’s still years down the road. We’ve got work to do and there are a lot of people who are vital to our community that depend on having this circle of life housing. We’re talking about school teachers, firefighters, nurses and other service industry workers who are looking at getting priced out of our community unless we keep up the pace.” Over the next few years, Lopez expects roughly 2,000 multi-family housing units to be built around the city. Looking further ahead, over the course of the next five years, he estimates another 4,000 units will go up. Lopez adds the City lost residents, and consequently development opportunities, to surrounding areas because of the lack of housing options. And that means a loss of revenue. It’s estimated Maricopa losses roughly 1-million-dollars a day to surrounding communities simply because consumers leave town to make purchases. It’s a trend the City can change with the addition of the retail opportunities that are already surfacing with the arrival or more multi-family housing. “Higher density can lead to the demands for the retail, and restaurants that Maricopa residents ask for,” explained Lopez. “We’re constantly hearing from new businesses interested in coming to Maricopa and specifically asking about work-force housing. It’s clear Maricopa is becoming more competitive in attracting developers who know they find employees to staff businesses and make money in our community.” To track all the latest developments around the city, head towww.whatsnewmaricopa.com. In the meantime, check out our exclusive video below.