A giant in the chip world soon will be taking up residence in the city of Peoria.
It’s not the chips in your cars and devices, but the chips alongside your favorite sandwich.
This week, construction began on Phase I of the 150-acre, eight-building Peoria Logistics Park on the northeast corner of Northern and 75th avenues.
One of those buildings will be a new distribution center for Frito-Lay, maker of numerous home and restaurant staples including Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Tostitos tortilla chips and dips, Cheetos and Fritos, to name a few.
The facility is expected to open in early 2023.
Frito-Lay has not commented on the new location and did not respond to requests for interviews, but some Peoria residents are excited to see the chipmaker locate in Peoria.
The 157,000-square-foot distribution center will be part of the Peoria Logistics Park, the first component of a new master-planned development named Legacy Point that will cover two cities and nearly 350 acres. Ground broke on the logistics park April 12.
The Legacy Point master plan is the brainchild of the long-time West Valley agricultural presence Rovey Family Farms, which began the entitlement process of the project last year. The Peoria planning commission and city council have approved major general plan amendments and rezonings for the project.
Planning Commission Chair Clay Allsop said the addition of Frito-Lay will bring much needed jobs to Peoria as well as new housing, which is in limited supply in the southern half of Peoria.
“This is exactly the type of tenant I had in mind when I voted to approve the Legacy Point PAD and its respective annexation,” he said. “I am excited to see smart growth as the Peoria Economic Development team has worked closely with the Planning Department.”
The complex Legacy Point project includes a variety of uses — residential, mixed use, commercial, industrial and business — and is going through the permitting process in the cities of Peoria and Glendale.
It will take time to develop these parcels, so while this is happening, the dairy and agricultural operations of Rovey Farms will continue on the property until the project has been fully developed.
David Tracy, chairman of the Peoria Chamber of Commerce board, said the chamber looks forward to welcoming Frito-Lay to the city and supporting its success.
“Frito-Lay’s investment in Peoria is a fitting addition to our vibrant and growing region,” he said.
Upper West Side PHX founder Katie Roe said the new Frito-Lay facility will bring extra funds into the city’s coffers.
“More and more businesses are popping up along the 101 and 303 in the West Valley and we’re happy to see that they are choosing Peoria as their home,” she said. “Frito-Lay will be a great addition to Peoria, providing additional jobs and revenue for the city.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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