SEE WESTGATE

WESTGATE FROM PAGE 1 to then contemplate, ‘Well, if they do move, what would be our game plan?’” Phelps said.

An economic study commissioned by Glendale suggested that pivoting from a hockey strategy to a live entertainment strategy would be the best direction for the entertainment district to take, the city said.

“What we learned is that, not only would we survive without the Coyotes, but we felt that if we did the things right, we would actually thrive without them being here,” Phelps said.

Along with the lack of a long-term commitment from the Coyotes, the city faced scheduling confl icts for other events at Gila River Arena.

The NHL does not announce its schedule until late April each year for a season that begins in October. The uncertainty of dates the Coyotes would use the building each year made it diffi cult for Glendale to schedule concerts or other events at Gila River Arena because certain dates had to be blocked out for the Coyotes.

According to the study conducted by

New attractions, such as PopStroke, a Tiger Woods project, are coming soon to Westgate in Glendale. (Photo by Harrison Zhang/Cronkite News)

Phoenix-based research fi rm Applied Economics, the city could easily cover the loss of revenue from fans visiting Westgate before or after Coyotes games through other events.

“In terms of spending at Westgate only (outside the arena), it would take approximately 20 additional concerts or large other events (with attendance of 10,000 or more) to equal the same amount of sales tax revenues to the city as 43 Coyotes games,” the study said.

Chad Wilford, owner of Fat Tuesday, a Mardi Gras-themed bar with New Orleans-style food in the Westgate development, believes that his restaurant will continue to be successful beyond the Coyotes.

“The concerts that will sell out or have larger ticket sales affect our business a lot more than most Coyotes games,” Wilford said. “Most Coyotes games are during the week, and they don’t have the same attendance that a national concert coming to town would.”

Glendale is negotiating with an architectural fi rm to redesign Gila River Arena, with a focus on enhancing concert experiences.

Over the years, the ownership of the Westgate Entertainment District has changed several times. Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy.com and PXG Golf Clubs, owns Westgate. Under the current ownership, the goal is to transform the entertainment district into an experiential hub.

Among the attractions coming to Westgate is a Tiger Woods project, PopStroke. Woods tweeted in May that PopStroke, a TGR Design and Tiger Woods Ventures partnership that designs facilities featuring two 18-hole Woods-designed putting courses along with restaurants, bars and lawn games, will expand to seven new locations — including Westgate in Glendale by fall 2022.

“The number of new tenants at Westgate speaks to the growing opportunities in the West Valley and the high demand for more entertainment and dining options in this part of town,” said Dan Dahl, director of YAM Properties, a Phoenix-based commercial real estate fi rm that manages Westgate. “The area really is booming and continues to foster economic growth and development. Its rapid expansion will only continue to bolster our business.”

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

BY GLENDALE STAR STAFF

The city of Glendale’s Parks and Recreation Department has joined an elite group of parks and recreation agencies across the country by earning reaccreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

This distinguished accomplishment demonstrates Glendale’s continued dedication to providing the community the highest level of service.

CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operations, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services.

Accreditation provides numerous benefi ts to Glendale Parks and Recreation and demonstrates that the agency meets or exceeds national standards of best practice, including: • Recognizes the community as a great place to live. • Helps secure external fi nancial support and reduce costs for the community. • Holds an agency accountable to the public and ensures responsiveness to meet their needs. • Ensures that all staff are providing quality customer service.

As part of the accreditation process, Glendale Parks and Recreation demonstrated compliance with 154 recognized standards and documented all policies and procedures.

Glendale’s commitment to both its mission statement, “A partnership of employees and community working together to create a better quality of life for Glendale through the provision of excellent parks, recreational programming, special events, tourism, and neighborhood and community facilities,” and vision statement, “We strive for our recreation programs and parks to be the fi rst choice for our diverse community, businesses and employees,” stood out to CAPRA evaluators.

BY GLENDALE STAR STAFF

Tanger Outlets Phoenix remains committed to ending breast cancer with the return of its signature Tanger Pink program this month.

Shoppers will have the chance to purchase a $10 Tanger Pink Card — benefi ting local organizations as well as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) — that activates an added layer of savings in October.

Throughout October, approximately 25 brands — including Banana Republic Factory, Levi’s Outlet and Under Armour — will offer 25% off a single item in support of breast cancer research. Pink Card holders can enjoy multiuse Pink discounts at participating stores all month long, with the option to present a digital or physical Pink Card. This year, Tanger offers three ways to shop Pink: in person, via curbside pickup and via virtual shopper.

In addition to its continued partnership with BCRF, Tanger Outlets Phoenix is joining forces with Impact One Breast Cancer Foundation to boost the sales of Pink Cards. The program has also funded local programs, including Wig Out, Don’t Be a Chump and Check for a Lump.

“It is an honor to be able to leverage our reputation and legacy to raise meaningful funds with the Tanger Pink campaign. I’d like to personally invite Phoenix shoppers to join in the fi ght for a cure for breast cancer by shopping, saving and supporting this October,” Tanger Outlets Marketing Director Kate Hansen said.

Nationally, Tanger Outlet centers have contributed nearly $18 million to help create awareness for the importance of early detection. The company has also funded multiple researchers over the course of the BCRF partnership who have dedicated more than 78,630 hours of research thanks to the ongoing contributions from the Pink program.

To learn more about the center’s Pink campaign, visit tangeroutlets. com/glendale.