City Council Greenlights Ambitious 184-Acre Vestar Shopping Center Rezoning

Maricopa is proceeding with plans for a significant shopping center despite opposition from local residents.

The Maricopa City Council unanimously approved a rezoning and land-use change for the Maricopa Towne Center, a 184-acre retail and residential development at the southeast corner of John Wayne Parkway and Farrell Road. This marks the first formal step toward what could become one of the city’s major commercial hubs.

Phoenix-based Vestar, known for its prominent projects like Tempe Marketplace, is behind the development. No tenants have been officially confirmed, but Vestar representatives indicated plans to attract a major grocery store or large-format retailer.

Of Vestar’s nine Arizona projects branded “Towne Center,” six feature Target stores. The remaining three include retailers already present in Maricopa developments, such as Walmart and Home Depot. Vestar is also working on the Vineyard Towne Center in Queen Creek and Verrado Marketplace in Buckeye, both planned to include a Target. Given Maricopa’s size, which surpasses that of seven Arizona cities with an existing Target, there is hope that a similar retailer will be part of the new center.

“If Vestar is doing a development, you’ve arrived. And we know we’ve arrived,” stated Councilmember AnnaMarie Knorr during the meeting, expressing optimism about the city’s growth.

The approved rezoning changes the site’s designation from a mix of commercial and residential uses to a unified “mixed use” designation. This modification allows for multifaceted development of both commercial and residential areas, according to city planning staff.

Current plans remain conceptual; only a zoning map and images of prior Vestar projects were shown to the council. Tempe Marketplace, similar in scale, includes a large retail complex alongside residential neighborhoods, hotels, and office buildings.

The prospect of new housing has raised concerns among some Palo Brea residents.

“We all bought houses in Palo Brea because it was supposed to be the edge of town, by native land,” commented resident Evelyn Tindle in a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission. “We don’t want property values to decrease due to apartments.”

Councilmember Amber Liermann recognized these concerns and expressed a desire for any residential construction to favor townhomes or condos over traditional apartments.

“I’m hopeful this project could cater to a market that’s distinct from apartment living and offers a diverse range of options for families,” she noted.

While this rezoning approval is a significant milestone, construction remains distant. Vestar must submit for preliminary and final plat approvals and secure a development review permit from the city before moving forward.