Price reiterates State of the City for chamber gathering

“We have to be us. We have to be uniquely Maricopa,” Mayor Christian Price told a breakfast gathering of the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce.

The event was an opportunity for Price to give his State of the City presentation, a recap of the city’s successes and anticipated projects. It was a Powerpoint version of the formal state of the city address he gave in October.

While describing the city as resembling Chandler 50 years ago, the mayor said Maricopa needs to move in its own direction.

“I absolutely adore economic development,” Price said.

He said City Hall is doing everything it can to land jobs in Maricopa, but it is not the city’s function to create jobs. Instead, he said the city is creating an environment to bring businesses in.

The developing Estrella Gin Business Park will offer 35,000 square feet of flex space. It is also an opportunity to bring business traffic off of State Route 347. Price said flex space can be adjusted as businesses move in, grow or move out.

Price also said Maricopa Station, currently being built beside CVS, is “a great addition to the community.” It is being developed by Vintage Partners, which expects the opening of Chipotle and Starbucks in June, with Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers and other tenants opening later.

The mayor pointed out the segment next to Maricopa Station has been marked for a hospital.

Price also indicated the importance of the recent zoning code rewrite, a 24/7 Electronic Plan Review system and Maricopa’s 2040 Vision in strengthening its economic outlook. The 24/7 system will allow anyone submitting plans to the city to review and follow the approval process. Price said it will be “fully auditable” and “completely transparent.”

While the current city council cannot bind future councils, Vision 2040 is a way to give Maricopa direction, Price said. It will ensure “the basic principles of where we want to go as a city are intact,” he said.

The city’s creation of the Maricopa Center for Entrepreneurship offers the opportunity to be more creative in growing businesses from within, he said.

Challenges continue to be transportation and flooding. The proposed 347 overpass over the railroad tracks “will change Maricopa forever,” he said. The Lower Santa Cruz River solution “is a massive project.”

The latter is a regional flood control project. And flooding has an impact on economic development.

“We want to make sure your home is protected when the next flood comes, and it will,” Price said.

The mayor also outlined happenings in various departments of City Hall.

Public Safety

The Maricopa Police Department is the first department in Pinal County to train in domestic violence lethality protocols. The city council recently approved the purchase of 43 on-body cameras for the officers. A police substation and Copper Sky Regional Park and a fire administration building (along with Public Works building) is planned at Estrella Gin. Fire Chief Brady Leffler has created a “culture of reducing expenditures.” Maricopa is listed as the fifth safest city in Arizona.

Parks, Recreation and Library

The Maricopa Public Library has 6,000 visitors a week and, for its size, is ranked as one of the busiest in the country. Copper Sky won the 2014 award for best parks and recreation facility in Arizona. For the second year, Maricopa won the Playful City award. Upgrades are continuing at Pacana Park.

Education

Price said strong schools help economic development. “CEOs want to go where schools are strong,” he said. Though the school district is a separate government entity from the City of Maricopa, City Hall was a major player in the Paint the Town Red homecoming venture. The city also played a part in an agreement with Albright College and Central Arizona College to offer three four-year degree programs. The University of Arizona will also expand its engineering offerings to Maricopa.

Transportation

The 347 overpass will increase the flow of traffic through Maricopa tenfold, the mayor said. He said it should not take as long to travel from Maricopa Meadows to Rancho El Dorado as it does to travel from Rancho El Dorado to Interstate 10. But he also reminded the gathering the project will take a very long time. Meanwhile there is ongoing work to expand Smith- Enke Road and Honeycutt Avenue and plans to widen 347. Paving dirt roads, a major factor in dust control, is also a priority for the city.

As the city moves forward on projects, Price asked for collaboration.

“If we try to do it alone, we will not be successful,” he said.