This rendering shows plans for the VAI Resort, southeast of 95th Avenue and Cardinals Way, planned to open in 2024. (Courtesy VAI Resort)
By Mark Carlisle | YourValley
Anyone driving on the southwestern stretch of Loop 101 in the West Valley will see plenty of shovels in the ground as the corridor is becoming one of the Valley’s most rapidly evolving areas.
The biggest attractions are the coming Mattel theme park and VAI Resort, which is centered around a man-made beach, in Glendale. In total in the six-mile stretch of Glendale and Phoenix, there will be thousands of homes and jobs added in offices, retail, restaurants and experiential businesses. There are well over 1,000 acres under construction or planned for construction.
“Right now, just in the Westgate Sports and Entertainment District, there’s $1.5 billion worth of commercial development happening in that area with over half a billion in planning,” said Glendale Economic Development Officer Christian Green.
Nathan Wright, deputy director of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development Department, said his office was used to business inquiries focusing on wanting to locate in downtown Phoenix. Recently, he said businesses are inquiring more about this stretch of the Loop 101 corridor.
On the Phoenix side of the border, the biggest development is the 853-acre Algodón Center, which will add more than 2,000 single-family homes as well as some offices, a bit of retail and a new 30-acre Western Maricopa Educational Center campus that focuses on career and technical education.