Really, what it comes down
to is that the town has planned for its own success
through the development of the general plan
has led to the development of comprehensive economic
development plans
and strategic plans that the town council and the
community have supported.
But there has been a global health pandemic.
Businesses and other parts of this region
have had to shut down. Has that been the case here?
No, actually. We've seen
an increase in new business starts this year, about 12% yea
to date so far over the total that we had last year.
I think that really speaks well to the fact that we have
some outstanding partnerships in the community.
We have an amazing relationship
with the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce.
As you spoke about the pandemic, we had over safe steps
and it was that opportunity
for the town and the chamber
to partner, to help support
local business, to keep it going through the pandemic.
So sure, we had some closings during the pandemic,
but seeing the new businesses
getting started and opening
has been reassuring for us that
the local economy is very sound.
What would you say
are some of the factors that are contributing
to this recent growth that you're seeing?
It's really Town Council's
support of economic development in that emerging
tech, bioscience and aerospace industry.
For example, Town Council approved
the allowance that you can have light bioscience and tech
development in commercial one and two zoning districts
that would allow for some research development,
some light manufacturing and warehousing.
It also allows for some adaptive reuse
of some buildings, so we could have
some new starts there or allow for the reuse of buildings
to accommodate some tech and bioscience uses there.
The Town Council also created
an economic expansion zone in Innovation Park
that allows the town staff to expedite projects
and get those businesses up and starting in that area.
New business also equates
to people, families they want to be here.
What have you learned about what the draw is to this region?
For the at the family level,
it's really two components is
one you look around and Oro
Valley is just an amazing, beautiful setting
in which to live.
We have very safe, livable communities.
We always pride ourselves
that the roads are the best in the whole region.
But it's a little bit
more than that, even
when you go to the education here in our valley.
You have schools K through
twelve that are not
only the top in the state, but sometimes top in the nation .
So it really does create and help that family atmosphere
Local parks and Recreation,
the local ability for us to go out, hike, bike,
do all of those things, it's just a great place to live
and raise a family.
Sounds like a lot of
sunshine and rainbows, any growing pains along the way
I think for the town,
the growing pains
are just keeping within what we've already talked about
in terms of planned growth.
The community has a really great plan for growth,
but we also understand
that there are opportunities
in the future to see what the town wants to be,
in particular for the general plan.
The community's been discussing what those opportunities
might look like.
We have a changing workforce, changing demographics, so
it's great that the general plan has an inherent ability
to change and adapt to economic and residential conditions.
But you also have a beautiful mountain range, a state park.
When you talk about growth,
where does Oro Valley continue to develop?
We still have some build out places in and around Tangerine
Road, Rancho Vista,
so in general, kind of the northern area of the town.
But we also have some annexation strategies that the town
has been pursuing
initially in some of the short term strategies have involved,
as you probably saw recently, where westward look.
So there's an opportunity for the town to grow and expand
and allow some commercial
and future residential opportunities along Iona Road.
There are also some short term objectives for some annexations
for the existing commercial near and around Iona and Kostis
Adobe's and then moving back to Oracle Road.
So in the short term, it's
really focusing on existing residential
and commercial opportunities is a long term strategy
we're looking at with the possibility of annexation
might hold for Arizona State Land to the North,
and that would be for new development.
They're engaged from start to finish on plans.
They're actively attending council meetings.
So we do get that feedback in terms of what
the town is currently doing
and then future strategies for growth and development.