By Pinal Central
MARICOPA — The leaders of Pinal County’s cities and towns discussed a wide range of topics while touting their individual accomplishments
The most recent Pinal Partnership Breakfast was held this past week at the Elements Event Center in Ak-Chin Circle. City managers from Apache Junction, Casa Grande, Eloy and Maricopa made up the panel this time, recounting how their cities and towns have grown and developed this year as well as what’s next.
Apache Junction City Manager Bryant Powell spoke about the city’s land annexations and growth, including plans to meet up with the boundaries of Queen Creek and Mesa.
The city purchased U.S. Bureau of Land Management land this year for the development of a new rodeo grounds and event center and is hopeful about seeing vertical development within the next few years. The city additionally purchased 10 acres in the downtown and is looking for developers to bring in entertainment, hospitality, small businesses and more.
This growth would then allow the city to develop adjacent land for multifamily housing as well to bring more money into the area. These two- or three-story apartment developments would also be in addition to the single-family developments currently being built and sold, ranging from entry-level 1,800-square-foot homes at a price tag of roughly $420,000 to larger, luxury developments in the $800,000 range.
Casa Grande City Manager Larry Rains (speaking above) couldn’t be more thrilled with the year his city had. He stated that 2024 may be the most productive, or at least one of the most productive, years in its history, though they’re waiting to see the data on it.
Though there was a slight decrease in the number of single-family residential permits issued, that deficit has been more than made up for by the number of new multifamily development projects.
With five traditional apartment complex developments underway, some of which are already leasing, and three to four build-to-rent projects, roughly 1,500 units of housing will be available supplementing the 500 single-family home development permits issued for 2024.
The major focus of Casa Grande’s development during this period of growth was in the economic sector, specifically the development of local manufacturing and warehouses. From the local production of Lucid’s Gravity SUV to Kohler producing bath and shower enclosures, Casa Grande is rife with economic development bringing jobs and value to the local economy.
Coinciding with this growth is the expansion of the hospitality industry, with Marriott, Texas Roadhouse, Freddy’s and more setting up shop. Finally, Casa Grande has seen some notable improvements to utilities, ranging from $200 million in sewer and roadway improvements to becoming an ambulance transport provider and the beautification of utility boxes through mural contests.
