Estrella Gin property future site of development, fire station

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The former site of a cotton gin is one step closer to becoming a centerpiece in the redevelopment of the city’s Heritage District and the location for the city’s new fire department headquarters.

Like city hall, which is housed in temporary buildings on West Madison Avenue, the fire department’s headquarters is housed in modulars next to the Park and Ride lot on North John Wayne Parkway.

The Maricopa City Council recently approved a $110,000 contract with Aloha Grading to begin cleanup of the nearly 70-acre Estrella Gin property on the west side of the city near the Acacia Crossings subdivision. Estrella Gin Co. sold the land to the city in April for $3.2 million plus closing costs.

Aloha Grading is now removing broken concrete, trash and debris from the northwest corner of the property and will rough grade that area.

About 59 acres of the property is north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the remaining 11 acres sit south of the tracks.

While plans for the site have not been finalized, along with a fire station, other possible uses include a train depot, community hall, park and city maintenance and transportation facilities.

Whatever is built initially, city officials are optimistic the site will in time spur economic development and employment as retail businesses spring up.