UltraStar makes mark on Maricopa

Before the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center opened its doors in November 2012, virtually no local hub for family entertainment existed.

Maricopa resident Ricci Brown, whose family has lived in the city since 2005, can attest to this.

“Nothing,” Brown said. “There was absolutely nothing.”

Brown said he had to travel to the Valley for a movie-going experience — roughly 21 miles to the AMC Theatres at the Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center on Ray Road off Interstate 10.

Today, Brown and his family, and other Maricopa residents, don’t have to drive such a distance. The 165,000-square-foot center equipped with 12 movie screens, a bowling center, restaurant, sports bar and laser tag arena, sits just south of the city within the Ak-Chin Indian Community on State Route 347 near Farrell Road.

One year after its opening, officials with the center’s management company, UltraStar, said the business has exceeded revenue expectations, impacted the local economy and provided a one-stop shop for food, movies and other entertainment.

Maricopa Mayor Christian Price said the center has made “a dramatic difference” in the quality of life for the region and referred to the facility as a “wonderful building block” in the relationship between Ak-Chin and Maricopa. Louis Manuel Jr., chairman of the Ak-Chin Tribal Council, concurred that having such a commercial development has strengthened the bond between the city and community.

“I think we do … see eye-to-eye on a lot of things as growth comes into play for the future,” Manuel said.

Adam Saks, vice president of operations and general manager for the center, said the facility has made an economic impact on the community, saying it has provided employment to hundreds of Maricopa residents along with Ak-Chin Community members.

Alan Grossberg, president and CEO of UltraStar Cinemas, estimated that number to be around 400 full-time and part-time staff members. The number can go up and down depending on the season, he said.

The center wasn’t listed as one of the city’s top employers in Maricopa’s 2012 Community Report, which included data up to November 2012.

However, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort, an establishment next to the center that opened in December 1994, was at the top of the list with an estimated 725 employees.

Saks said the facility doesn’t only provide jobs, but opportunities for those who are employed. Case in point: David Trujillo.

The 27-year-old, who began working at UltraStar washing dishes, now works in shipping and receiving as well as sales and marketing. He’s also a seasoned comic who originally pitched the idea of holding a comedy show at the center.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Trujillo said. “It’s almost like a rags-to-riches kind of story.”

Trujillo moved to Maricopa from Tucson last year after his girlfriend became pregnant. Needing to find work, he eventually interviewed during a job fair held prior to the facility’s opening. Trujillo worked as a dishwasher for about six months before a supervisor, who noticed his potential, moved him to shipping and receiving.

Before coming to Maricopa, Trujillo said he performed standup comedy at venues all over Arizona. But with a new daughter on the way, he was forced to put his passion aside and find a job. His comedy show pitch eventually got attention, and Trujillo has performed in the center’s first two shows held in June and September. The next show is set for Friday.

Trujillo’s advice is to work hard and never give up.

“Hard work and dedication does pay off,” he said.

Saks said the UltraStar facility not only has made an impact on the local economy but also has been directly involved with the community, especially with education both in the Ak-Chin Community and the Maricopa Unified School District. The center’s philanthropic efforts are even seen in hosting different events with partners such as the F.O.R. Maricopa food bank.