Shopping, dining hub plans for GSQ in Goodyear move forward

Alexandra Hardle, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
The Civic Square project in Goodyear by McDowell Road and 150th Drive will be the center of the city's new downtown area. Construction, pictured May 10, 2021, began for a city hall, library, two-acre park and office space.
The Civic Square project in Goodyear by McDowell Road and 150th Drive will be the center of the city's new downtown area. Construction, pictured May 10, 2021, began for a city hall, library, two-acre park and office space.

Goodyear is moving forward with its plans to construct a new downtown area.

RED Development, a Phoenix-based commercial real estate company, announced earlier this month it would be partnering with Scottsdale-based Globe Corp. to build GSQ, the city's $87.7 million-downtown area.

Globe has already been involved with the city, partnering with it to build its city hall building, library and office space.

The downtown area, which will be at the cross streets of McDowell Road and 150th Drive, will be a city center for shopping, dining and entertainment, with the city having already announced several restaurants, such as The Stillery and an unnamed boozy brunch spot that are expected to come to the area.

Mike Olsen, CFO, treasurer and corporate secretary for Globe, said it hasn't been determined yet which retailers will be in the area. But the city is getting a lot of calls from retailers who are interested in developing in the downtown area, Olsen said. He added the company hopes to have a specialty grocery store, a sporting goods store and high-end retailers.

And while the area will all be one cohesive downtown area, Olsen said the area west of 150th Drive will be more corporate: that's where Goodyear's Civic Center is, and where there eventually will be more office space. The restaurants in the area will likely support that office space, and the hotels will be marketed more towards business travelers. There will also be one multi-family housing complex that will support people who work in that area, Olsen said.

The area east of 150th Avenue, on the other hand, will be more entertainment-oriented, Olsen said. There is already a Harkins movie theater there, which is one of the top-performing Harkins theaters in the country, Olsen said. There is also a plan to have a convention center in that area, as well as additional hotels.

The city also plans to make that area more walkable and will even include an art walk showcasing work from local artists.

In an email to The Arizona Republic, Mike Ebert, managing partner at RED Development, said announcements on specific retailers are expected later this year. The goal of the project will be to create a community hub in Goodyear with a variety of different entertainment, retail and restaurants options, Ebert said.

And it's not RED's first time working on a downtown development project: the company developed CityScape, which had the goal of revitalizing the downtown Phoenix area. CityScape is now synonymous with downtown Phoenix, Ebert said. Retailers in the area include restaurants like the Arrogant Butcher and Chipotle and shops like Urban Outfitters.

"After decades of doing this, one of my favorite things is still to build mixed-use destinations that become the core of their respective cities and that’s exactly what GSQ will be for Goodyear," Ebert said.

Construction of GSQ is expected to begin in 2024.

Reach the reporter at ahardle@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlexandraHardle.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Shopping, dining hub plans for GSQ in Goodyear move forward