Readying for New Residents and the Businesses to Support Them
Published on November 23, 2021
As the team tasked with preparing for Maricopa's future, your city planners are always aware that the decisions we make today shape our outlook for tomorrow. Every proposal for every acre along the way determines our course forward, so strategic choices must be made to make the most of Maricopa's finite land resources.
Currently, the city is enjoying rapid growth fueled by all the opportunity this tight-knit community has to offer. Not only is Maricopa attracting residents from around the country set on raising their families here, but also profitable businesses and the jobs they create. As Maricopa welcomes them, we're also striking an intentional balance with our needs for a mix of residential, commercial, industrial, historical and other types of development.
With regards to commercial/retail development, cities typically over plan for those needs and Maricopa is no exception. Here's a look by the numbers:
All told, the City of Maricopa's existing land use designations currently reserve more than 22-million square feet for commercial opportunities. Those same land use designations project a future population of between 150k-200k residents. Standard industry models estimate the city will need 9-million square feet of commercial space to support a population of that size. This means that right now, Maricopa's planned commercial development is 140% of the projected need! So the city will continue adjusting plans as needed to ensure Maricopa's businesses are supported by the population.
Just as important as preserving commercial space is planning for its location. The City of Maricopa's Economic Development team is deliberate in overseeing where each home and each business is built. A developer is responsible for determining which businesses and housing projects they want to move forward with, while the city chooses where developers can build and sets the standards for construction. Our goal is not only to create thriving neighborhoods, but to design them with safety and convenience measured into every move.
"The city's voter-approved general plan guides the strategy for planning the various land developments within the city. The General Plan designates private and public land with diverse land uses that foster growth in the Maricopa economy while integrating these land uses with neighborhoods accessible to jobs, shopping, amenities, and recreation." - Rodolfo Lopez, Director of Development Services Department
Ultimately, what drives commercial opportunities is population. As homes are built and occupied, employers and retailers are drawn to our community. Maricopa is already taking tremendous strides toward creating that allure for new residents and well-positioned for the new commercial/retail development to support them.