The Edison Pointe development by Vintage Partners includes four major retail spaces, four mini major spaces and four pads.

If all goes as planned, Edison Pointe will start construction in summer 2016 and be open for business in spring 2017.

The lot next to Fry’s Marketplace was purchased four years ago by Vintage Partners. The project is doing business as VP Edison 15, LLC.

Michael Treadwell, senior vice president of development leasing at VP, said the plan will allow for 14-15 businesses in 130,000 square feet of retail space.

VP is “finalizing tenants,” said Treadwell, who is not identifying those prospects. He said VP is building for the specific requirements of the tenants, however.

“We like Maricopa and we think there is a need for more retail,” Treadwell said. “And we really like the location of Edison Pointe.”

That location is on the east side of John Wayne Parkway, south of Fry’s and north of Edison Road.

Economic Development Director Denyse Airheart said there will be two phases to the project. There are four major retail buildings and four “mini major” spaces designed for the parcel plus two pad sites. The second phase contains two more pad sites.

“It looks like 80 percent is in Phase One, and the rest is in the last two pads,” Airheart said.

Edison Pointe was one of the developments Mayor Christian Price referenced, unnamed, as a point of progress in his State of the City address in October. “We hope to break ground on several privately owned, developer-controlled retail locations within the city,” he said. “This will bring a myriad of new options, from eateries to different types of stores, things of that nature.”

One of the Edison Pointe pads is designed for a sit-down restaurant. Another is for an auto-repair business.

“We don’t have information on who the tenants will be,” Airheart said. “We know there will be a major retailer.”

She said developers come to the city to learn what businesses would be a good fit and then market their property to those industries.

Because of the pace at which Vintage Partners completed Maricopa Station once it broke ground (seven months), Airheart said she anticipates the work at Edison Pointe to go “pretty quickly.”

A development review permit has been before the Maricopa Planning & Zoning Commission, which recommended it for approval.

The project is one of the first major developments to operate within the city’s new zoning code, which became effective Dec. 5, 2014.

Airheart said that will give the project a different look and layout from Maricopa’s older commercial developments because of modern elements in the facade. At the same time, it is meant to fit visually with Fry’s Marketplace. Its planned color scheme for the major buildings is whites, creams and tans.

There are also plans for raised pedestrian crosswalks in the parking area.

Treadwell said the plans are coming together exactly as VP envisioned when it bought the property.

Access from John Wayne Parkway has been a point of concern as the project moves through development. Southbound drivers on JWP wishing to access Edison Pointe must either turn left at the Fry’s light and drive through the Fry’s parking lot or turn left at Edison Road.

City planner Rudy Lopez said there would be up to three access points off Edison.

Edison Road is two lanes. Resident Lee Murray said traffic on Edison trying to get onto SR 347 already backs up at rush hour.

Airheart said there have been no recent discussions about adding lanes to Edison. Lopez said traffic review is part of the development conditions.

The zoning code’s Transportation Corridor overlay district applies to the first 150 feet of parcels fronting State Route 347 and other major throughways. The TC overlay is meant to “prevent developments which would conflict with the vision in the General Plan for these corridors or interrupt the transit, bicycle and pedestrian experience,” according to Article 301 of the zoning code.

Treadwell said VP has a long-standing, strong relationship with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), which has authority over John Wayne Parkway. Most recently in Maricopa, VP worked with ADOT to add northbound exits for its Maricopa Station project.

“We work very well with ADOT, and we’ll certainly be discussing this with the city,” Treadwell said.

He said VP intends to announce each tenant as paperwork is finalized.

This story appeared in the January issue of InMaricopa News.

Utility lines mark the space for a future development called Edison Pointe at the corner of SR 347 and Edison Road next to Fry’s Marketplace. Photo by Raquel Hendrickson
Utility lines mark the space for a future development called Edison Pointe at the corner of SR 347 and Edison Road next to Fry’s Marketplace. Photo by Raquel Hendrickson

1 COMMENT

  1. Certainly hope they build A RIGHT TURN LANE OFF EDISON ONTO THE JOHN WAYNE PARKWAY ON THAT CORNER by the Big O/99 cent store…etc.
    Traffic backs up every morning with people going straight across to the Quick trip and sometimes takes 3 lights just to get off Edison to go right.
    That street doesn't seem wide enough for all those businesses coming in with out a right turn lane onto the main John Wayne Pkway