These projects are igniting Arizona’s economy
AZRE
The San Tan Valley Complex includes a library, a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office substation; the district’s supervisor office; Family Advocacy Center; community development and clerk of the superior court services; offices for the assessor, recorder and treasurer; as well as adult and juvenile probation facilities. Western Technologies is currently providing construction materials testing for Pinal County’s four new public buildings, including this one, funded from a $63 million bond issue the Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved for several new facilities in 2019. Picture courtesy of Western Technologies.
There were a lot of factors working against economic development in the past year, but Arizona’s economic development community and the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) found ways to not just survive, but thrive in the face of a global crisis. The state saw new economic growth all over, new projects were being built, new companies were arriving or expanding and new businesses were starting.
The economic wins were shared with many Arizona communities in the past year; AZRE has put together a place to highlight reports from economic development leaders around the state, including Pinal Partnership members.
PINAL COUNTY
Behind the leadership of Pinal Partnership, the county is moving forward to become a major economic engine for the central part of the state. Pinal Partnership is a non-profit formed in 2005 to bring together all the people and ideas that will ultimately lead Pinal County to its full potential. Currently, Pinal Partnership has more than 150 members that include public agencies; private interests in business, industry, land ownership and development; conservation, educational and Indian communities; and Pinal County residents. Some of the efforts that Pinal Partnership has undertaken in the past year are:
Community Growth and Support
■ Alluvion began construction of a unique low-latency, high-density fiber optics path connecting the cities of Coolidge and Casa Grande. Roughly 32 miles of fiber will be strategically placed to provide service to existing businesses and anticipated near-term future developments.
■ Central Arizona Governments (CAG) was recently awarded a $400,000 supplemental funding grant by the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The grant will enable CAG to, among several things, complete a Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for 2021-2025 and develop an Economic Recovery “Tool-Kit” for Communities, Local Businesses and Stakeholders in the CAG Region.
■ Empowerment Systems is a 501(c)3 non-profit Arizona corporation focused on Pinal and eastern Maricopa communities that focuses on multi-dimensional wellness and health education. They operate three major programs: the Empowerment Learning Collaborative provides learning opportunities and internships to college students and healthcare providers; the Arizona Living Well Institute delivers evidence-based health education and wellness; and the Community Outreach Resource Center provides outreach and enrollment assistance with programs like: AHCCCS Medicaid, KidsCare, ACA Marketplace, unemployment, etc.
