Emmerson Holdings, a family-owned land investment firm based in Scottsdale, is quietly shaping Maricopa’s future as it converts large stretches of empty desert into sites primed for homes, retail and employment.

It’s a business called land banking.

Partner Chase Emmerson told InMaricopa he followed in his family’s footsteps, taking an active role in Maricopa after his father spent decades quietly acquiring land in the area. Today, the firm controls about 3,200 acres in and around the city. The company specializes in acquiring raw desert and preparing it for builders or employers by securing zoning changes, engineering approvals and resolving floodplain issues.

“A lot of work goes into it,” said Emmerson. “You’re planning down to exactly where a tree’s going to go in a park or what the amenities are going to be in a community, or what size lots they’re going to be. It takes a big team of experts to pull that together and deliver a community that a builder’s going to want to buy and that people are going to want to live in.”

One of the firm’s signature projects looks like barren desert at the corner of Steen and Murphy Roads. On paper, that is Murphy Park, a 480-acre site Emmerson Holdings purchased in 2021. The property was originally zoned for residential development. Since Emmerson Holdings got involved, they’ve had it rezoned as 400 acres of commercial space. Emmerson said the shift better fits the area and could help attract large Fortune 500 companies to build in Maricopa.

“We felt that employment was beneficial not just for the site but for the city,” he said. “It would benefit Maricopa overall and strengthen the outlook for our other properties.”

The company’s portfolio also includes “Maricopa 66” and other parcels near the Papago Road corridor and Hidden Valley area. Emmerson said evaluating properties requires careful review of transportation plans, utility access and floodplain maps.

“Floodplain is a big one,” said Emmerson. “We often work on floodplain solutions that can take years to get approvals in place so that a builder can buy the land and develop a community.”

Much of Maricopa’s appeal, Emmerson said, stems from its newer master-planned neighborhoods, reliable water supply through Global Water Resources and improving transportation links, including the planned widening of State Route 347.

“There are very few places on the edge of metro Phoenix that have the kind of key ingredients Maricopa has to offer,” he said. “Great water, developable land, a growing transportation network. It’s all there.”

On social media, Maricopa residents often express mixed feelings about the city’s rapid growth, with some voicing concern about preserving Maricopa’s small-town character. Emmerson acknowledged those tensions but pointed to the benefits that come with expansion.

“More rooftops support more retail and more employment,” he said. “It allows people to live and work in Maricopa rather than commute.”

Emmerson Holdings continues to pursue new opportunities while advancing its existing projects toward development.

“What’s good for the city is going to be good for our business,” said Emmerson, who made national news when he was interviewed by Business Insider Wednesday. That newspaper found land-investment firms could lower home prices in the Phoenix area, a dire need across the metro with Maricopa being no exception.