By Srianthi Perera, The Republic | azcentral.com
Buoyed by an improving economy, some West Valley cities are working to breathe new life into older areas of town and create new centers of civic life.
Downtown areas in the West Valley are as distinct as its cities, a mix of older communities and ones that sprouted in more recent decades. Surprise, which seemingly grew overnight into a city of more than 125,000 people, is still playing catch up as it tries to build a downtown area.
Glendale and Peoria, two of the West Valley’s older communities, have worked to refurbish and make their downtowns vital. The cities in the southern area also have on-going projects.
