First phase of Surprise City Center to finish this summer
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Image: Courtesy of the city of Surprise
A long-planned and long-delayed project to transform downtown Surprise is underway, and its first phase is set to finish this summer.
The big picture: Construction on the first three buildings of Surprise City Center, on the southeast corner of the intersection of Bell Road and Bullard Avenue, is scheduled for completion late this summer, city spokesperson Virginia Mungovan tells Axios.
- The development is near the city's spring training complex, Surprise Community Park, city hall and Ottawa University Surprise.
- Construction on two additional buildings could begin within 60 days.
Flashback: Planning for the project began years ago but was long delayed by proposed changes, litigation and city council disagreements.
- There was a "reset" in 2021, when plans were proposed to add a 78-acre portion at Bell and Bullard known as The Quarter at Surprise.
Zoom in: The project's first three buildings will be home to businesses including Amazing Lash Studio, Jet's Pizza, Lush Nails, Osteria Mia, Pita Kitchen and Tacos Chilango, though not all space has been leased, according to plans from the city.
- Those businesses' opening dates aren't yet known.
- They will be part of the city center's Elm Street mixed-use entertainment area, which will include restaurants, retail, apartments, office space and a park.
Zoom out: The ambitious project would fill the mostly vacant square mile that surrounds the municipal government complex and park areas, bordered by Bell to the north, Greenway Road to the south, Bullard to the west and Litchfield Road to the east.
- Various areas are slated for commercial, residential, medical, educational, office and other uses.