By Doreen Cott, Economic Development Director

Over the last several months, Queen Creek residents have probably noticed increased construction and traffic in the community. With the installment of both medical and higher education facilities and future plans for additional restaurants and entertainment venues, the town is expected to see continued growth over the next few years.

Banner Health Center Queen Creek’s 21,000-square-foot building opened May 1, offering a mix of primary care services for everyone in the family. The future Communiversity @ Queen Creek, officially broke ground in January and will soon be home to students from universities and community colleges around the state earning certificates and/or associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Already this year, the town has seen a spike in the number of building permits for single-family homes, an indication that the demand for additional dining and service businesses will also increase. Queen Creek’s Town Center encompasses 900 acres of commercial, entertainment and housing options, and staff is proactively working to attract uses for 20 acres of town-owned property in Town Center as well as other available sites. A hotel is also a priority for economic development to accommodate the thousands of people who visit Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre and the other destinations in the community each year. It was also recently announced that both Maya Cinemas and Harkins Theaters have plans to develop movie theaters, and Smashburger will soon be joining the restaurant mix at Queen Creek Marketplace along with In-N-Out Burger coming in 2014.

In January, Queen Creek’s business incubator, QC Inc., opened the doors to its permanent location in the Queen Creek Municipal Complex. This facility offers affordable space, business counseling, networking opportunities and extensive training to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs as they expand and grow in the community.

Queen Creek’s future is bright, and with the town’s Economic Development Strategic Plan firmly in place, the community has established its priorities and is actively working to make them a reality.