TEMPE CHAMBER
Advantage Nov. 2013 – Feb. 2O14 • tempechamber.org
Great things ahead for Tempe By Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell My first State of the City Address in November 2012 was a chance to reflect on Tempe’s goals and plans as our community moves forward toward a thriving future. I spoke about how our City Council has worked to prepare Tempe for better economic times and predicted that we were poised for significant economic growth. I was confident that our anticipated successes would bring returns on investment for everyone involved – especially our residents. My second State of the City Address will be an opportunity to express how far we have come. Since last November, we have been honored to announce and welcome exciting new ventures with big names and great plans. The highlight of these announcements came on May 24, when the City of Tempe and its partners revealed that our community will be home to the largest commercial development in Arizona’s history. Arizona State University, Ryan Companies and Sunbelt Holdings will develop a 20-acre site at Tempe Town Lake on the north side of Rio Salado Parkway, west of Rural Road. It will be leased to State Farm and will become one
of three national hubs for the insurance giant. Consider these project numbers: $600 million construction value; nearly two million square feet; five buildings; two parking garages; up to 60,000 square feet of retail space; and a 10-acre public plaza next to Town Lake. It’s an unprecedented development that will have untold benefits for our community. It is expected to serve as a catalyst for more highquality business growth. The City has also been working with Arizona State University to develop a hotel conference
The Tempe Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the City of Tempe is pleased to present Mayor Mark Mitchell’s State of the City Address Thursday, Nov. 21, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, 60 E. 5th St. The mayor will share his thoughts on the local social and economic climate along with his vision for the growth and future of Tempe and Arizona. This event provides a valuable opportunity to enjoy a breakfast with civic, business and political leaders of the Valley. Tickets are $50 for Tempe Chamber members and $70 for nonmembers. The event includes breakfast and the public is invited to attend. Learn more and register at www.tempechamber.org. State of the City is presented by Edward Jones. Platinum sponsor: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport; Gold sponsor: Silicon Valley Bank; Silver sponsors: Arizona State University Office of Public Affairs, CenturyLink, Ryan Companies US, Inc. and SRP; Copper sponsors: APS, Cox Communications and Southwest Airlines; and Print sponsor: AlphaGraphics at Elliot and Kyrene.
center on the southeast corner of Mill and University, entitled USA Place. The $350 million development will feature a 330-room luxury hotel and a 30,000-square-foot conference center. The planning for the site also includes a residential component, as well as office and retail space. When completed, it is expected that USA Place could bring some 300,000 people to Tempe every year. The State Farm hub and hotel conference center are just a couple of the recent successes in bringing new jobs and development to Tempe. Others include GoDaddy, Direct Energy, Union Bank, Wells Fargo, AMC Theatre and several residential projects. In addition, the City Council acted in February to lease 106 acres of city land west of Town Lake for a future office building complex that could bring as many as 6,500 jobs. What do these new developments mean to you? First, they mean good jobs right in our back yard. They also mean sales taxes and property taxes that pay for the services we provide and the assets we maintain. Our Council’s priority is to build a better future for Tempe, and when reflecting over the past year, it is clear that we are off to an excellent start.
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