Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 76 No. 6
INSIDE
This Week THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
NEWS...............6 Chocolate Affaire becomes Chocolate Experience
NEWS ..............9 Pink dye leads to bank robbery arrest
OPINION..................... 12 BUSINESS.................. 14 SPORTS ...................... 16 CALENDAR ................ 18 FEATURES.................. 20 RELIGION ................... 24 YOUTH........................ 26 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 29
www.glendalestar.com
February 6, 2020
Westgate hits capacity, expanding BY TOM SCANLON
Glendale Star Managing Editor
Westgate is officially tapped out, having reached its capacity. But wait — there’s more. Even though Westgate Entertainment District reached 100% occupancy for the first time since its 2006 opening, it doesn’t mean owner YAM Properties is finished growing the area. Dan Dahl, director of real estate for Scottsdale-based YAM Properties, said there is plenty more room to grow on 70 acres. “YAM Properties is continuing to expand the complex and working on developing shops along Glendale Avenue,” Dahl said. “We also have plans to build additional entertainment and residential options to support the growing community.”
when they hear the word Westgate, the site also has “luxury apartments” (the Lofts at Westgate) and office space. The additions of Crumbl Cookies, Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade and Caramba Mexican Food took Westgate to full occupancy, with 50 restaurants, retail and entertainment places. Recent new restaurants brought the Westgate Entertainment District to full This is pretty much capacity for the first time. But more is coming, as Westgate’s owner has start- what his company had ed new construction nearby. (Photo courtesy YAM Properties) in mind when it purConstruction is underway that will ex- chased the property in 2018. “YAM Proppand Westgate. Dahl noted while most erties acquired Westgate because it is an SEE WESTGATE PAGE 7 people think “food and entertainment”
Volunteers hit streets to count homeless BY OCTAVIO SERRANO Glendale Star Staff Writer
Over 60 volunteers gathered in the early, cold morning last week to help count the homeless in Glendale. Volunteers gathered at a city office at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, to be part of the “point-in-time count,” a yearly census of the homeless population. The volunteers were asked to interact with as many homeless individuals as possible, ask them questions and offer services. The volunteers gathered when the sun
The Glendale
was still down and nobody was out in the streets. It was a chilly morning at 48 degrees, but they quickly got to work. Volunteers were divided into groups and set out to cover the city. Last January, volunteers counted 194 unsheltered people in Glendale. That is nearly five times the 44 unsheltered people counted in 2016. In 2017, 57 unsheltered people were counted. The number of unsheltered spiked to 164 in 2018. Glendale’s rise in homeless reflects a countywide trend. In 2019, the number
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of homeless people increased in Maricopa County for the sixth straight year, according to the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). The counts are submitted annually to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which uses the information to allocate and prioritize funding for homeless programs. In Glendale and other cities, the annual count utilized volunteer teams including city, town, county and state representatives; community and faith-based organiSEE HOMELESS PAGE 4
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