UPDATE: Following the grand opening of Goodyear Civic Square on August 1 , the City of Goodyear and the Globe Corporation announced plans for what is shaping up to be a highly anticipated downtown area with GSQ, a destination for residents and businesses. Located north of McDowell Road between Bullard Avenue and PebbleCreek Parkway, the project currently includes Goodyear City Hall, Civic Square Park and Globe’s GEN1 Class A office building and parking garage. Eventually, the mixed-use walkable urban center will include popular restaurants, entertainment, shopping and residential living which will be announced in the coming months.
GSQ is just a few minutes to the east of Verrado, and will be a nearby place to gather for events such as festivals, concerts and parades. While it may not be until next summer before we get a good variety of new restaurants and shops open at GSQ Square, we’re hoping that they’ll soon unveil their entertainment schedule for the end of 2022. Perhaps not as close as Verrado’s own Center on Main, and the exciting news Verrado Marketplace but certainly close enough to be part of the neighborhood.
We hear that the events area has built special facilities to accommodate a large number of food trucks to enjoy while attending concerts and festivals that will be held on the Square. Don’t miss out on the ribbon cutting ceremonies on Monday, Aug 1 beginning at 7 am. Check out the info in our EVENTS section.
Goodyear Civic Square located at 1900 N. Civic Square (McDowell Rd./150th Dr.) includes:
- New city hall
- New two-story library
- Two-acre park for community events and gatherings
- Upscale office space
- Space for new restaurants, retail and entertainment
Globe is a family business which has owned this section of land since 1970 when it was a scallion farm. They sold 105 acres to Macerich in 2006 for what was to be a regional mall. But due to the setbacks that came with the Great Recession, the project never moved forward other than the Harkins Theatre which continues to be one of the top performing theatres in the country. In June of 2020, Globe repurchased the vacant land from Macerich along with the property occupied by Harkins, resulting in Globe owning all the remaining property in the project.
“How things ended up unfolding over the years has ended up being a blessing,” said George Getz, President and CEO of Globe. “The popularity of malls has really declined in recent years and a future mall would’ve likely become obsolete. GSQ will jump start this part of the city to soon be the robust downtown everyone has been waiting for.”
In 2019, the Goodyear City Council unanimously approved the development agreement for Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ. Construction started on April 23, 2021 on the Square, expected to attract the type of companies who bring high-quality jobs. The ability to attract large office users expands the daytime employee base in Goodyear which increases the attractiveness for new restaurants, retail and entertainment.