New development targeting industrial-rich 303 on way to Glendale

Written by Steve Stockmar for the Glendale Independent

More development appears to be heading to the west side of Glendale near the Loop 303.

The proposed La Pour annexation will move forward after City Council agreed to proceed with the request at its Tuesday afternoon workshop. In the midst of sprawling industrial expansion out west, La Pour 303, as the project is called, is by comparison a modest, undeveloped nine acres located north of the northwest corner of Bethany Home Road and Loop 303.

The requested annexation from Maricopa County land into the Glendale jurisdiction is needed to allow the rezoning to move forward through the city’s review process.

The property is adjacent to the Loop 303 in an area where the city is experiencing predominantly industrial growth and development interest.

“We believe the proposed PAD (Planned Area Development) will facilitate the development of a high-quality project that achieves the goals and objectives of the city of Glendale by bringing industrial services to the area,” Wendy Riddell, of the real estate law firm Berry Riddell, wrote in the project narrative to the city dated Jan. 11.

A developer is not named in the narrative.

While no end user has yet been identified, the proposal calls for a 20,000-square foot building for warehouse, manufacturing or heavy commercial space use. The blended average construction cost for La Pour 303 is estimated at $3.08 million, according to a December fiscal impact study from Applied Economics, a Phoenix-based economic consulting firm.

The study estimates that the proposed La Pour 303 development could support about 11 jobs at an annual wage of $63,000 based on the types of light industrial or commercial uses that could develop.

“Based on what (the developer) is projecting today, it would be for a 20,000 square foot building, however, by the time it goes through PAD it could potentially change to something greater than that,” city of Glendale Planning Manager Tabitha Perry said Tuesday.

The La Pour 303 economic study estimates a one-time $100,000 benefit to the city based on permit fees and construction sales tax. An annual net benefit to the city of $27,000 is anticipated.