Inside Glendale - Mid-August 2025

CITY HELPS UNVEIL DESERT DIAMOND ARENA UPGRADES City employees enjoyed a pitch-perfect morning helping reveal amenities fit for rock stars at the Desert Diamond Arena media preview of the facility’s $42 million renovation on Aug. 5.

Journalists mingled, shot footage and took still photos as they walked through luxurious, modern spaces including upgraded suites, revamped cocktail lounges and the new Bassline Bar, a VIP lounge. Our Communications Department Director Sue Breding shared highlights of the exciting arena work as emcee of the event, while our Mayor Jerry Weiers also praised the arena’s renovation, calling it a “premier destination for major events.”

Our videographer Alfredo Kaspar captured the milestone. Brett Stefansson, Legends/ASM Regional Vice President for Managed Venues, spoke about the transformation that the public saw for the first time at the Chris Stapleton concert on Aug. 8.

Print and broadcast journalists strolled through the Encore Club Theater Boxes, which offer private bars, complimentary food and great seats, and the private Studio 623 Booths that are designed for groups of four to six people that have a recording studio feel.

They sampled delicious new food and craft cocktails through the arena’s food partner, Levy Restaurants.

Thank you to our Development Services, Building Safety, Fire and Engineering departments for making this project possible. Check out the media coverage of the renovation in the links below.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE COMING Excitement is building as our City is preparing to launch the redesigned City and Library websites in just days. Expect https://glendaleaz.gov to go live on Aug. 26.

This new city website will provide better functionality and a stronger user experience.

However, the new platform is a trusted, widely used solution by other cities in the Valley that will deliver better functionality, simplified navigation and layout, along with a functional search feature and an official .gov domain.

The new website will be mobile-friendly.

Anyone who navigates to glendaleaz.com will be automatically redirected to the new site.

The Employee Portal will also have a new refreshed look on August 26. It will become your new homepage in Chrome and Edge, and you can access it from the bottom of the main city website. Note, you will need to log in using your glendaleaz.com email address and your Windows password.

MAMMOGRAMS MADE CONVENIENT As a reminder, there is still time to sign up for an important health screening that only takes about 15 minutes.

Our city will host Mobile On-site Mammography at different times Aug. 19-22 at the Main Police Station, Main Library, Field Operations facility and Foothills Library. When found at an early stage, breast cancer is much more likely to be treatable.

To register for a mammogram, visit the GRID Calendar and bring an insurance card, doctor’s name and the address and location that prior mammogram films were taken to the appointment. Or you can call 480-967-3767 to schedule an appointment.

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MORE UPCOMING EVENTS DANCE IN BOLLYWOOD WORKSHOP Looking for a fun and FREE way to exercise and express yourself creatively?

Check out the Bollywood Dance Workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Foothills Library. Dancer and theater artist Hira Ismail will lead participants in a vibrant, energetic dance experience that is inspired by the colorful, rhythmic styles performed in Indian cinema. Bollywood dance typically combines elements of traditional Indian dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi, with contemporary, pop and folk styles. In this class, students will focus on the emotions and storytelling that Bollywood dances convey.

This workshop is open to families and adults of all experience levels. Learn more about it on the library webpage.

EXPLORE WAYS TO AID METABOLISM Did you know that metabolism is how your body turns food and drink into energy? Learn practical ways to keep your body functioning with exercise and nutrition during the Jumpstart Your Metabolism webinar from noon to 1 p.m. on Aug. 27.

Participants will discover how metabolism works and the ways age, genetics and other factors affect metabolic rates during this Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona event. They will learn ways to accurately determine resting metabolic rates to gain personalized health knowledge. Register for this Zoom webinar here.

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WAYS TO GROW IN GLENDALE PARK EARNS COOL HONOR A fun city site to cool off during these hot months will be available through Labor Day and it’s generating positive publicity.

“The Arizona Republic” recently named the splash pad at Sunset Palms Park as one of the best splash pads in the Valley. This newspaper story revealed how this modern site at 54th and Sweetwater avenues, which opened in 2023, offers 15 water features, including giant sprayers, various waterspouts and a huge dump bucket to cool off residents and visitors.

The splash pads at Sunset Palms Park and the other city locations - Greenway Granada, Heroes Regional, O'Neil and Sycamore Grove parks - are open from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 31 and on Labor Day, Sept. 1. Learn more about our city’s splash pads on the Parks and Recreation Department webpage.

GAIN WRITING TIPS IN LIBRARY EVENTS Looking for inspiration to write a novel, poem, screenplay or anything else? Our libraries recently kicked off the FREE Writer in Residence Fall Session, through which poets Rosemarie Dombrowski and Shawnte Orion are holding workshops and one-on-one coaching and feedback sessions for people of all experience levels. Check out the video our videographer Mike Harris created to the left showcasing this great program. Learn more about it on our library’s website.

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GREAT NEWS IN GLENDALE NEW DEPUTY CITY MANAGER STARTS We are thrilled to welcome Thomas Adkins as our new Deputy City Manager. You may have seen him already visiting our Media Center and attending City Council meetings.

Thomas has decades of experience working in public policy at the local, regional, state and federal level, as well as in crisis communications, community relations and legislative advocacy.

He is managing the Intergovernmental Programs and Communications departments, which include internal and external communications, media relations, video production, website management, graphic design and special projects. He also is tasked with providing direction to ensure programs meet our community’s needs and the City Council’s goals.

Thomas most recently worked for the Arizona Board of Regents, where he managed crisis communications and community relations through high-profile challenges, including the University of Arizona’s financial recovery. Prior to that he served as the Intergovernmental Affairs Director for the city of Peoria, where he secured millions of dollars in state appropriations over many years for key infrastructure projects, neutralizing legislation that would negatively affect city operations.

SELFIE DAY SHOWCASES DCRP PROGRESS While progress continues on the Downtown Campus Reinvestment Project (DCRP), our city invited any employees, residents and visitors to take a moment to snap a selfie near our evolving, new City Hall on Aug. 12.

Check out the video to the left capturing progress on this muchanticipated new complex taken by one of our videographers Luis Jacinto. Find out the latest news on how the project is going on our city website.

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MORE GREAT NEWS IN GLENDALE CITY DONATES SCHOOL SUPPLIES Local children were able to return to classes with a spring in their steps and equipped to thrive academically, thanks to generous donations from city employees.

Our city’s employees generously donated enough school supplies to fill 678 backpacks, which were delivered to students in grades K-8 in need at Desert Spirit and Sunset Vista schools in Glendale. That’s an increase from 400 backpacks that were filled during last year’s back-to-school donation drive.

The Glendale Employee Giving Committee, which organized the drive, is grateful to everyone who dropped off pencils, scissors, erasers, spiral notebooks and many other supplies in bins at several city buildings this summer.

Thank you to all the city employees, as well as City Councilmembers and their assistants, members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, and State Farm Stadium and American Medical Response (AMR) workers who helped with the back-to-school supply drive. We also appreciate the Glendale Elementary School District for helping deliver the supplies.

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CITY SUCCESS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

QUENCH THIRST FOR COOL TREATS If you’re looking for some sweet treats to cool down during these hot months and ways to support our city’s economic growth, check out two new businesses.

HTeaO, a Texas-based ice tea shop, recently opened its first shop in Arizona at 9161 W. Glendale Ave. in the Westgate Entertainment District. Crispy Cones made its debut in our city at 8280 W. Union Hills Drive. Our Economic Development Department captured the fun at the openings for Crispy Cones and HTeaO in videos posted on social media.

Customers can sip real premium filtered water made with all-natural, GMO-ingredients that are free of nuts and dairy at HTeaO, which boasts a rotating menu of more than 20 fresh-brewed flavors and customizable drinks. Crispy Cones offers a treat famous in European countries - a fresh-dough cone, grilled rotisserie-style that is covered with cinnamon and sugar or a specialty powder. The cones are filled with customers’ choices of spread, as well as gourmet, soft-serve ice cream, fruit and various toppings.

These new businesses opening locally have generated media buzz. Check out the stories posted below.

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GIVING BACK IN GLENDALE POLICE EVENT AIDS SPECIAL OLYMPICS Our Police Department demonstrated its fundraising prowess and physical fitness when it helped operate the Torch Run Pickleball Tournament For Special Olympics of Arizona.

The Pickleball Space hosted the tournament, which raised close to $3,000 for the Special Olympics, on Aug. 2 at the pickleball business on West Bell Road. There were 37 teams that competed with six Glendale Police Department employees involved in the tournament that was open to the public.

The mission of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Arizona (SOAZ) around the state. Our city’s police department carries the torch representing the Flame of Hope and commits to helping Special Olympics Arizona throughout the state.

Glendale’s Police officers and employees take part in events to promote inclusion.

The double elimination tournament gave city Police employees, along with all participants, the chance to compete for glory and have fun while making an impact on local athletes. Thank you to everyone who participated in the tournament!

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