By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels says the East Valley suburb isn’t competing with other Valley cities for jobs.
Daniels sees Gilbert more on the national economic development stage especially for professional services and finance jobs.
“I think our competition is more national,” said Daniels in an interview with the Rose Law Group Reporter.
That means competing with the likes of Dallas, Austin, Denver and Salt Lake City for jobs.
Gilbert has attracted major new operations centers from Deloitte, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. Daniels points out those firms have all landed at the Rivulon development.
The Gilbert mayor said the town will continue to put a big focus on attracting professional services and finance jobs as well as bringing more creative and other businesses to its restaurant-heavy Heritage District area.
Gilbert touts its upper middle class income and education levels to prospective employers and site selectors.
While Gilbert is looking to grow jobs, the town is more lukewarm towards more new apartments.
New apartments complexes have continued to be built across metro Phoenix. But Daniels said Gilbert is close to having it fill of new multifamily developments.
Daniels said the town also has to point out a number of new apartments being built in the East Valley are not in Gilbert but straddle its borders with other cities.
“We have to point out a lot of the new multifamily being built are not actually in Gilbert,” Daniels said.
