Some Peoria residents balking at planned Amkor location

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

Amkor Technologies locating in Peoria has gotten much praise, but that doesn’t mean everybody is excited about the new location, particularly those living in Vistancia near where the facility will be located.

The new microchip packaging and test facility location from Tempe-based Amkor has generated discussion on social media platforms such as Facebook, Nextdoor and online bulletins for Vistancia residents.

Many have said they aren’t necessarily opposed to the company itself, but against its planned location.

To address resident concerns and to clear up any misinformation, the city is holding an Amkor informational webinar 6 p.m. March 27.

At a recent Peoria council meeting, City Manager Henry Darwin said there is a lot of interest in the project, particularly in north Peoria and Vistancia.

Darwin said the webinar will provide more detailed information to the public, especially for those residents in Vistancia so they can learn about the retail, restaurants and employment opportunities that will exist in and around the Amkor facility.

“We have heard that there is some misinformation that has spread in the community and to try to curtail some of this information that might not be completely accurate, we are going to host a webinar,” Darwin said. “But also for us to gather and answer some of the questions that we’ve been hearing about this significant investment in our city. We want to make sure that everyone who has an interest can hear directly from the city about these issues.”

The 500,000-square-foot Amkor manufacturing facility is planned for Five North at Vistancia, the master-planned community’s 320-acre mixed-use commercial core.

The land is entitled for this facility under the Vistancia Planned Community District, or PCD, which allows for a use such as the Amkor facility, and is subject to Vistancia design requirements, meaning it is planned to fit the character of the commercial core.

However Larry Boress, a resident of Trilogy at Vistancia, said residents were never told there was going to be manufacturing or that the land was zoned as such.

He said residents were shown plans for retail, restaurants, hotel, commercial and schools, but not a major, four-story manufacturing hub that will block mountain and desert views.

“From past information provided to the community via an open house held by Five North, they were to develop an area similar to other properties they developed such as High Street and Scottsdale Quarter, along with a school, hotel, and offices,” Boress said. “This will change the entire character of the Vistancia community.”

Peoria resident Brian Lesser said nearly all the comments he has seen on Nextdoor — more than 40 posts recently — have been in opposition to the Amkor location.

Lesser said it’s not a stretch to say many who moved to Trilogy, a 55+ gated community within Vistancia, came from stressful careers with the desire for a darker nighttime sky and slower pace, a mellower lifestyle and quieter atmosphere. No one anticipated local traffic jams and a “six-lane Vistancia Boulevard,” however, lifestyle “be damned when going up against economic development,” he said.

“Not once have I heard a logical explanation from the mayor, staff or supporters tell us why building behind Safeway is so crucial when one can throw a dart in any direction and hit vacant land all around Peoria. Many who posted (on social media) continue to ask, what is (Mayor Jason) Beck getting out of this? We’ll probably never know,” Lesser said.

Amkor will provide a number of services, most significantly package and test chips for many companies, including Apple, that nearby Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. makes at its north Phoenix fab, assuring a bulk of the process will happen close to the manufacturing point.

Officials say it will eventually be Peoria’s largest private employer, and the facility will be the country’s largest outsourced advanced microchip packaging facility.

Peoria resident Susan Muha said she is glad the city is providing the webinar to Peoria residents, particularly those in Vistancia, who will be the most affected by the construction and future effects.

“Why not spend some time telling us about the shops and restaurants that have already signed on in Five North? We have not heard a word in the last year or two,” she said. “There are many questions that Vistancia residents have.”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

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.