Ground has been broken on Centennial Gateway, the retail center at the corner of West Ann Road and Centennial Center Boulevard, and the final phase of the million-square-foot Centennial Center owned by Territory Inc.
The new Gateway area -- separated from the larger center by the Rancho Detention Basin, which is scheduled to be completed this summer -- will include 350,000 square feet of building space and is expected to be completed by October.
It will be anchored by a Walgreens, a Fresh & Easy neighborhood market and a 24-Hour Fitness Super Sport facility. Other signed tenants as of March 1 include Raising Cane's chicken fingers restaurant and Sportsman's Warehouse, an outdoors sporting goods chain.
"What's going to be really exciting is that it's a high-end 24-Hour Fitness facility, a Super Sport with 50,000 square feet and an outdoor pool," said Nick Hannon, senior vice president of Territory Inc.
"There really isn't anything like that in this area. And Sportsman's Warehouse is a huge chain that has everything for the outdoorsman, from (fishing) boats to hunting, hiking, shooting. I think that will really fit nicely in this area."
Hannon said more tenants will be added, including several restaurants, but there will be no fast food or drive-through establishments in Centennial Gateway.
"We might have fast-casual, but no drive-throughs," he said.
Several people that live and work in the area said they were excited about the new development but concerned with increased traffic issues.
The Ann Road-U.S. Highway 95 intersection already is congested during peak travel hours.
"I saw there's going to be a 24-Hour Fitness, and that's pretty exciting because I usually have to go all the way to Cheyenne (Avenue) to (go to a gym)," said Rosa Alvarez, an employee of On The Border, a restaurant across the street from Centennial Gateway.
"I live right up the street, and with the hospital just opening and a new college campus coming, there are a lot of places that are going to increase traffic in this area.
"It can get a little crazy right here, but I think most of the trouble is northbound from Ann."
Hannon said Territory won't create access directly from Ann to Centennial Gateway because the city wouldn't allow it due to the demands of the surrounding communities, including Painted Desert.
"It would be nice if we could because Buffalo (Drive) dead-ends there, but because of the housing in the area, it's not a possibility," he said.
Centennial Center is at 97 percent occupancy, with businesses reporting good sales, Hannon said.
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