News updates are sent daily. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Chandler council to vote on Riggs Gateway center
Digg|
Save|
License|
Print|
E-mail|
A controversial shopping center that's been years in the making is about to face a vote from the Chandler City Council today.
But the retooled plans for Riggs Gateway, a 34-acre development at the northeast corner of Riggs Road and Arizona Avenue, aren't expected to face any serious objections now that a Wal-Mart Supercenter is off the blueprints.
 |
Officials at Scottsdale-based Diversified Partners plan to start construction sometime in 2011.
"It was apparent at that time that the Wal-Mart Supercenter was a point of contention and we withdrew our application," wrote project manager Liz Gaston in an e-mail to the Tribune.
The developer drew heavy criticism from nearby residents starting in 2004 for its plans to build what would have been the third Wal-Mart Supercenter in the city.
Riggs Residents for Retail Diversity, a group formed to combat the developer, argued the planned store would have been overkill.
The residents group has since dismantled its Web site, and officials say there hasn't been any strong objections while the plans were progressing through the city's approval process.
"There's no opposition to the current proposal," said Jodie Novak, Chandler senior planner.
Exactly what will occupy the center's anchor space is uncertain. Also unknown are tenants in the other shops that make up the center.
"It could be anything under the sun," said City Councilman Jeff Weninger.
Gaston said the company has no committed tenants.
Diversified's redone plans for Riggs Gateway include a significantly smaller anchor store than originally planned, Novak said.
Wal-Mart Supercenters tend to run about 200,000 square feet in size. But the new plans only call for a 117,000-square-foot retail store with the option to eventually expand to a larger size, she said.
Please add your comments, but follow these guidelines to keep this a safe, credible place for discussing the news: