Vistancia commercial core poised for big announcement

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

Residents of the Vistancia master planned community in north Peoria will soon have more information about their commercial core.

Land owners and development partners have been working on about 320 acres of the core near Vistancia Boulevard and El Mirage Road, finalizing plans for the initial phase of development, property marketing and leasing, as well as the overall branding character.

City officials say the site plan is not finalized or approved for distribution to the public, however an official announcement of the property name, Phase 1 details, prospective transactions, and development timing is anticipated before year-end.

Developers say the Vistancia core will be a modern and dynamic lifestyle destination in the northern reaches of Peoria that will attract a unique and high-quality collection of restaurants, retail, entertainment, hotel, office, mid- to high-density residential, education and parks/open space.

Vistancia Vice President Mark Hammons said in a statement sent to Peoria Independent that the company is working closely and collaboratively with their development teams, planning and architectural partners, brokers, and the city of Peoria, and look forward to announcing the official plans for initiating development of the commercial core property very soon.

“With the tremendous growth and interest in north Peoria over the last 24 months, the timing is right to progress our vision to deliver a modern and dynamic lifestyle destination that offers a diverse mix of unique and high-quality experiences for our residents and the entire West Valley,” Hammons said.

Aside from this partnership between Vistancia and the city within the commercial core, there are other projects in the area going through various stages of the planning process.

Marketplace at Vistancia is a 25-acre site located at the southeast corner of El Mirage Road and Lone Mountain Parkway.

Developer Barclay Group has proposed a commercial center to include a 123,722-square-foot Fry’s Marketplace as the anchor. The proposal includes an affiliated fuel center, four restaurant pads and two commercial retail buildings.

Pam Giannonatti, corporate affairs manager for Kroger, would not comment on a possible groundbreaking or opening date of the Fry’s and said there were no updates to share at this time.

The overall center proposes 157,883 square feet of new commercial and retail space and is currently in the site plan review stage.

The proposed uses are permitted under the current zoning with the fueling facility requiring the issuance of a conditional use permit. The purpose of the site plan is to ensure the site meets all the required zoning, development, traffic and design review regulations and policies prior to construction. With the exception of the fueling center, the project is in administrative review process.

Simon CRE has proposed a 7.5-acre commercial center located at the southeast corner of El Mirage Road and Vistancia Boulevard. It is expected to include multiple retail pads, automotive diagnostic and/or service establishment, as well as medical office and restaurants, making up more than 47,600 square feet of new commercial space.

The uses are permitted under the current zoning with the auto service establishment requiring the issuance of a conditional use permit. With the exception of the auto service establishment, this is an administrative review process.

Some officials say the commercial core in Vistancia has gotten attention from a number of developers due to the recent construction of the TSMC plant located near Loop 303 and Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, only a mile-and-a-half away from Peoria at the facility’s west end.

City officials have been recruiting businesses whose products can support the supply chain TSMC will outsource, including companies that create products like HVAC, wafers, fabrication and biomedical, as well as construction trades.

Utilities and high-tech infrastructure are in place, including the WestWing substation that provides 40 megawatts of energy capacity, expandable to 120 megawatts, thanks to the nearby Arizona Public Service Co. power line corridor.

Mayor Cathy Carlat said the shovel-ready, build-to-suit Vistancia commercial core is an opportunity for new business to take root only a short drive on Loop 303 from the TSMC site.

Construction of the plant is on schedule to be operational in 2024, according to company representatives.

Carlat said the Vistancia commercial core is perfectly poised to add to the quality lifestyle Peoria residents have come to expect.

“Quality employment, unique restaurants and retail will be enhanced by Vistancia design standards and the beauty of the Discovery Trail. Its proximity to TSMC has made Peoria a desired location that will move this project forward,” she said.

Peoria Planning and Zoning Chair Clay Allsop said an indirect benefit could be a sizable portion of future TSMC employees and growth created by the new business resulting in more people making Vistancia their home.

“The more residents move into the city, the more commercial development will continue to grow. As Peoria becomes an even more desirable place to live, businesses will be more inclined to grow from within our city, creating more job opportunities for our residents,” he said. “I see TSMC’s investment in the north Valley as an incredible opportunity for Peoria and I am happy to see that the city is doing all it can to capitalize on this opportunity.”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

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.