75 years of progress: Major city projects under way in Goodyear

“We’ve come a long way, particularly over the past decade, and our council is committed to ensuring that Goodyear continues to enjoy a quality of life that is desired by our residents. We are thriving and we are pressing on with great anticipation for the year ahead. This is truly a great time to live, work and play in Goodyear!”

Mayor Georgia Lord

By Kelly O’Sullivan
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Goodyear experienced tremendous growth in 2020, with dozens of industrial and housing projects wrapping up or getting under way, and small businesses opening, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The new year is expected to bring more of the same, and the city itself has some major projects that will come to fruition or get under way in 2021.

Goodyear Digital Communications Manager Corinne Holliday provided Independent Newsmedia with a smorgasbord of major city projects in the works, along with comments by Mayor Georgia Lord.

A year of celebration

On Nov. 19, Goodyear will turn 75 and the city will hold a special event that includes burying a time capsule, but the city isn’t waiting until then to celebrate.

“2021 marks the city’s 75th anniversary and it promises to be an unforgettable celebration. There will be a wide variety of activities for everyone to join in on as we celebrate both our past and our future,” Mayor Lord said.

“We’ve come a long way, particularly over the past decade, and our council is committed to ensuring that Goodyear continues to enjoy a quality of life that is desired by our residents. We are thriving and we are pressing on with great anticipation for the year ahead. This is truly a great time to live, work and play in Goodyear!”

The nearly year-long anniversary celebration will officially kick off at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22, with a ceremony live-streamed from Loma Linda Park, the city’s oldest park.

Due to COVID-19 safety measures, in-person attendance will be limited, but residents are invited to watch live at goodyearaz.gov/our-city/goodyear-75th-anniversary or at @goodyearzgov on Facebook.

For more information on what the kick-off will include, click here.

Residents interested in submitting items for inclusion in the time capsule, which will be unearthed during Goodyear’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2046, are asked to visit goodyearaz.gov/75 and click on the Time Capsule tab.

All items placed into the capsule, which will be 32- by 24-inches deep and 12 inches wide, must be dry and non-perishable. Those whose items are selected for inclusion will receive a swag bag filled with commemorative 75th anniversary goodies.

Other information on the 75th anniversary page includes a brief history of the city and the locations of 10 Goodyear hearts murals at parks and other public sites around the city commemorating decades from the 1940s to 2020 and the future.

READ: Goodyear’s Innovation Hub helps small business owners succeed

Two new fire stations

The city will open two new fire stations this year, both designed to focus on the health and safety of firefighters.

Construction on the $9 million Station 186 at 18430 W. Willis Road, east of Rainbow Valley Road in Estrella Mountain Ranch, was completed in December, and crews began occupying the facility on Jan. 7, according to the city’s website.

The new Station 181 at 450 N. 143rd Ave. will replace the original Station 181 at Yuma Road and Van Buren Street. Construction on the $10.8 million station began in May 2020 and is expected to be completed in March.

Each station features designated “clean” and “dirty” zones to prevent contaminants from entering the clean zones.

“The city is proud to be leading the way in redesigning fire stations with an emphasis on health,” Mayor Lord said. “These stations reflect the great growth of our city and demonstrate the investment we have made in public safety for our residents.”

Goodyear Recreation Campus

This summer, the city will celebrate the Phase I opening of its 86-acre recreation campus on Estrella Parkway between Van Buren Street and Yuma Road.

The $2.37 million project, which is 40% complete, includes a 48,000-square-foot recreation center, an aquatics family and 30-acre park.

Rec center amenities will include a multipurpose gymnasium, activity rooms, fitness area, indoor walking/running track and a dedicated area for social gaming/teen activities.

Outdoor aquatic amenities will include a 25-yard lap pool, play pool with zero-depth entry and play structure, a lazy river and two slides.

The park will feature multipurpose fields, a three-tier playground, baseball and softball fields, sport courts, group picnic ramadas and an art plaza.

Visitors to the campus also will find contiguous pedestrian paths and trails designed to ensure seamless and harmonious connectivity with nearby neighborhoods.

“The Goodyear Recreation Campus will provide a unique gathering place for the entire community, bringing to reality a long-held vision to offer a multitude of recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to engage in a healthy, active lifestyle,” Mayor Lord said.

Phase II will include a 50-acre city park. Visit goodyearaz.gov/reccampus for more information and to view a video of what the campus will look like upon completion.

READ: Goodyear water utility rates won’t increase this year

Surface water treatment facility

Goodyear’s new $128.5 million Surface Water Treatment Facility, scheduled for completion at 157th Avenue near Estrella Parkway at the end of December, will help support the city’s drinking water needs well into the future.

The project got under way Oct. 1, 2019, and includes a six-mile pipeline that will connect Goodyear to the Salt River Project canal system, bringing water from the Colorado River.

The facility is expected to initially produce 8 million gallons of drinking water per day, with future expansion to 16 million gallons per day.

“The Goodyear Water Treatment Facility that will be completed in 2021 will connect Goodyear to its Colorado River water allocation and enable us to meet the increased demand for water that our growth has made necessary,” Mayor Lord said. “This is another way in which we are strategically planning for growth by providing the infrastructure to support our future needs.”

Goodyear Civic Square

Construction on Phase I of the much-anticipated public-private Goodyear Civic Square at Estrella Falls is scheduled to begin this spring on nearly 50 acres at the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 150th Drive. Completion is expected in summer 2022.

Among other things, the $88 million, multi-phased project being built in partnership with Globe Corp. will serve as a destination hub for city administration and services and community events, and will make history as the West Valley’s first large-scale office building.

Phase 1 will include a four-story, 125,000-square-foot City Hall housing a two-story, 20,000-square-foot public library in addition to council chambers and city offices; Globe Corp.’s three-story, 100,000-square-foot office building and adjacent 1,100-vehicle parking structure; and Civic Square Park, a 2-acre greenspace where the city can hold activities and special events.

“It will create a destination space and, finally, a distinctive downtown district for our city. Our residents deserve a dynamic gathering space, and the park in front of the new City Hall and library will be a great place to hold festivals, concerts and other community-focused activities,” Mayor Lord said. “The Class A office space that will help anchor Goodyear Civic Square is desperately needed in the West Valley, and we anticipate that our investment will drive other private interests to the surrounding area, bringing retailers for shopping, entertainment and restaurants to the area for our residents. We are excited to see this project come to life.”

Future Civic Square phases will see the addition of an office building and parking structure similar to the Globe Corp. building, and two additional buildings for retail and/or office use. The office buildings will face one another across the park, and the retail/office buildings will face City Hall across the park.

Visit goodyearaz.gov/civicsquare for project updates.

Kelly O’Sullivan can be reached at kosullivan@newszap.com or 760-963-1697.