By Mark Carlisle | Your Valley
A 156-acre fresh food haven is planned for a site in south Phoenix that aims to provide the community with fresh food and lead in food industry innovation.
In the project’s first development phase, which will break ground next year, the developer, Arizona Fresh, plans to bring a fresh food wholesaler, a daily farmer’s market, educational programs and a 20-acre community park to the site. In future phases, it plans to develop an agriculture and food research center, test fields for innovation in the production and delivery of fresh produce, a conference center, a multi-tenant office park for strategic partners and an incubator for entrepreneurs looking to create startup businesses in the food industry.
About two-thirds of the 156-acre site, north of Elmwood Street between Seventh and 16th streets, was used as a landfill from 1971 to 1981. About 20 acres of the site was used as a park from the 1980s until it closed in 2012. Aside from the former park site, the property has been partially used for dirt and asphalt milling storage.
