Tempe is continuing to grow, and city officials are dealing with the positives and negatives that come with it, according to presentations at the annual State of the City on Tuesday.
Officials held the 27th annual event Dec. 2 at the Tempe Center for the Arts to commemorate the city’s growth with more expected for the coming years.
Tempe Chamber of Commerce hosted the event with President and CEO Robin Adrredondo-Savage serving as host. She opened the event by thanking the dozens of sponsors for their help and effort in the community.
“Thank you to our sponsors who make it look like we have Super Bowl-level funding. We don’t,” she said during the opening ‘Thank You Notes’ with Mayor Corey Woods.
Sponsors such as SRP, Edward Jones, Arizona Lottery, Arizona State University and more were in attendance to network and hear about the changes and controversies the city has experienced throughout 2025.
Woods gave an address that spoke to changes in Tempe and where he’s excited to see the city move next.
“If you grew up in Tempe, went to college here, or raised a family here, you probably have fond memories of Mill Avenue. The same holds true of people today,” he said during his speech.
Mayor and council have heard numerous complaints about changes to Tempe’s downtown district and specifically Mill Avenue, a popular street with bars, restaurants and local businesses that sees foot and vehicle traffic at all times of day.
However, the city issued more than 2,800 new building permits in 2025 and welcomed more than a dozen new businesses to Mill Avenue with more planned for 2026. This resulted in more than $13 million in permit fees from both new and existing businesses.
Woods said he was pleased to share the progress in rebuilding from the Oct. 13 microburst storm that caused millions of dollars in damage to both public and private property.
He thanked partners from the county, state and federal governments as the Small Business Administration continues to reside on the second floor of the Tempe Public Library to provide loans to businesses and homeowners with damage to property.
“I’m grateful to serve you. I’m inspired by what we’ve built. And I’m excited for what comes next. Because we will build it together,” Woods said.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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