Mayor Phil Gordon and Vice Mayor Peggy Neely
The Arizona Republic: Our Turn
Impact of City North becoming evident
As we continue to hear alarming stories about our economy, it’s good to have some bright news on the horizon. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, CityCenter of CityNorth in North Phoenix will be holding a job fair to fill 250 new positions for its first phase, called High Street.
The creation of these jobs comes at a time when unemployment is very much on the minds of many Valley residents. The CityNorth job fair will be held 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, from at the corner of 56th Street and Deer Valley Drive at the CityNorth Sales and Leasing Gallery. A wide array of positions will be filled at the job fair, with annual base salaries ranging as high as $50,000, including everything from entry level service positions to supervisory jobs and management positions and even specialty jobs like sushi chef! Interested job seekers are encouraged to direct their questions to concierge@CityCenterofCityNorth.com.
Today, the economic benefit of CityNorth’s first phase is already being felt in other important ways. There are hundreds of workers currently on-site getting High Street ready for its grand opening on November 13.
Construction of the first phase of CityNorth has already resulted in the hiring of 75 subcontractors and approximately 600 construction workers. And this is just the beginning.
CityNorth has already paid $9.3 million in development fees and construction sales taxes to the city before the doors have even opened. Over its lifetime, the development will provide an estimated $1 billion in city taxes. We are excited for the grand opening of CityNorth’s High Street and welcome the positive economic benefits of CityNorth that will continue for years to come.
By the time CityNorth is completed, its economic benefits will be huge for Phoenix. More than 19,000 jobs will be created by businesses locating there, along with more than 16,000 construction jobs. The annual economic activity in the region generated by CityNorth is expected to be $1.9 billion.
What that means for the city of Phoenix is $1 billion in municipal tax revenues over the life of CityNorth, with an average of $22 million annually. This is revenue that will support critical city services and jobs that our community needs.
Another benefit to the city is CityNorth’s commitment to sustainability. In fact, the entire CityNorth project is a registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) development that will be a city-within-a-city.
It will counter sprawl, reduce traffic and support long-term growth in Phoenix.
During tough economic times, it’s more important than ever that we continue to find ways to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, and that is what CityNorth is doing.
With the creation of new jobs, added tax revenue that supports city services and CityNorth’s commitment to sustainability, the economic benefits of CityNorth’s first phase are already being felt by our city. It couldn’t come at a better time.
Phil Gordon is the mayor of Phoenix. Vice Mayor Peggy Neely represents District 2, which includes much of northeast Phoenix.