Through my time as mayor, Peoria has set a clear priority to drive high-quality economic development and grow job opportunities and important services close to home. I am excited to outline several historic milestones that Peoria has recently achieved that will deliver on these bedrock commitments.

On Aug. 27, the city of Peoria was the successful bidder for 834.5 acres within Core 2 of the Peoria Innovation Core. The PIC represents a broader 7,000 acres of land that the city has worked with the Arizona State Land Department to bring to market. As part of the city’s intergovernmental agreement with ASLD, approved by council in December 2024, Peoria will serve as the master-planner and developer for the PIC, allowing the city to lead all zoning and entitlement efforts, while designing and constructing the necessary backbone infrastructure including roads and utilities.

As a result of the successful auction, Peoria’s council subsequently approved the necessary agreements to allow Amkor Technology to relocate its planned advanced semiconductor packaging and test facility to a larger, 104-acre site, inside Core 2 of the PIC. Amkor’s project represents a $2 billion investment and 2,000 high-quality local jobs, further solidifying Peoria’s role in strengthening America’s critical semiconductor supply chain. As market demands have evolved, the project called for a larger footprint that the Peoria Innovation Core can seamlessly provide.

With Amkor’s transition into the PIC, and out of Vistancia’s Five North, council simultaneously approved updates to the relevant development agreements that will advance the necessary infrastructure components required to eventually bring the 56-acres to market. As part of this development, we are excited to announce a future partnership with HonorHealth on a brand-new medical district, and West-MEC on a neighboring career and technical education campus. This will create a hub for healthcare services and workforce training, two things Peoria residents have long desired and serves as a catalyst to attract nearby shops and restaurants to the area.

None of these actions took place overnight, and each of these components required meticulous long-term planning. Since December of 2024, Peoria has worked within our landmark IGA with the ASLD to lead planning and infrastructure efforts across the PIC. These efforts themselves represented a historic milestone for what partnerships look like between municipalities and the state. The rapid growth of the Northwest Valley, driven by demand for technology and defense industries, further underscores why this moment is so important.

During a time when Peoria was as well-positioned as any city to step up to meet the demands of development across our region, we delivered. We delivered on our promise to drive high-quality job growth and expand future revenues. We delivered on our promise to prioritize the addition of long-desired restaurants, retail, and as of the Aug. 28 council meeting, we can add new hospital services, locally in Peoria.

As mayor, I am incredibly proud to be part of a city, full of tremendous staff, that continues to meet the moment and deliver on all that we have set out to achieve.