By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels knows the Heritage District’s popular restaurant row area can only support so many eateries.
So, Daniels wants to find the right mix of retail, arts, community and development to complement the trendy bars and restaurants along Gilbert Road.
“I think people want experiences,” said Daniels in an exclusive interview.
She said that means more community events, art walks and finding creative ways to bring retail to Heritage area when the sector is wrestling with e-commerce and Amazon.com.
Daniels would like to find ways to bring in more local retailers to the Gilbert’s restaurant heavy downtown.
“We can do a lot of pop-up shops,” said Daniels, who is a rising star politically.
Those pop-ups, which include the retail equivalant to food trucks, could be partnered with more arts related events to go along with popular restaurants that have made ‘downtown Gilbert’ a regional foodie destination.
The Heritage District just north of Elliot Road is home to popular restaurants and bars such as Postino’s, Barrio Queen, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, Liberty Market and Pomo Pizzeria. A new Culinary Dropout at The Yard location just opened there.
A Grubstak location did recently close with the eatery looking for a new Gilbert site where it can have a full bar.
The town government owns much of the land in the Heritage District area allowing it to be selective in what gets developed and when.
The Gilbert mayor is also optimistic about a 10,000-square-foot expansion of the Hale Theatre performing arts venue and that offering more experience options to locals and visitors.
The town is also working on improvements to make sidewalks and crosswalks more pedestrian friendly and making Vaughn Avenue an alternative access point to the Heritage District.
Daniels is also supportive of the new 500,000-square-foot mixed use development planned on the north end of the Heritage area by a joint venture of DMB Associates and LGE Design Build.
That joint venture, Heritage Partners, is paying the city $5.33 million for the 9.1-acre property. Development plans call for 500,000 square feet of Class A offices, apartments, public art spaces and a hotel.
Daniels said Heritage Partners will also build a parking garage. She said Gilbert received nine proposals for the site which is now surface parking lot.
Daniels likes the idea of bringing more office space to the restaurant row area and the fact DMB and LGE plan on building the new development in one phase. She said that will reduce disruptions to traffic and other businesses because of construction.
“It was the best offer,” Daniels said.
