McFarland: PhoenixMart not dead yet but pulse is very, very small
by Rodney Haas | Casa Grande Dispatch
A February 2018 picture from the street shows the PhoenixMart project in it’s current state.
Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland spoke about the need to market Casa Grande during Friday’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon at The Property Conference Center.
After his speech wrapped up, the mayor took time to answer some questions from audience members. Here’s a look at some of the questions that were asked and the mayor’s response.
PhoenixMart
The mayor was asked about the latest on PhoenixMart, the large sourcing center with a shell that was constructed nearly two years ago and remains unfinished.
“PhoenixMart has a pulse,” McFarland said. “I think they are still in the process of gathering funding. Other than that I really don’t have a lot to report on. It’s not dead. I tell people that it has a pulse, but it’s very, very small.”
Since 2011 when PhoenixMart was first announced, it has been seen by many as more of a pipe dream than actually becoming reality. Although there is a shell of a building located on the eastern end of Casa Grande, the project has been plagued by funding problems, which has led many to think the project may never come to fruition.
