Goodyear celebrates opening of civic square, new heart of city

PHOENIX — Goodyear on Monday debuted its new civic square, a moment decades in the making for the fast-growing West Valley city.

Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ features a new library, park and city hall, as well as upscale office space and spots for restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

“Today has been a long time coming,” Mayor Joe Pizzillo said in a press release.

“We are committed to growing our city in a meaningful way, and this project is a great example of that goal. We look forward to sharing many exciting announcements in the near future about the businesses that are coming.”

The $87 million project on the corner of McDowell Road and 150th Drive was made possible through a public-private partnership with Globe Corporation, the city said, adding there were no new or increased taxes to complete the civic center.

Globe Corporation owned 47 acres where the new civic square was built and donated six acres to the city as part of the partnership. The company built the city hall, library, park and office space and is working to develop the area surrounding the civic center.

“My family bought a section of farmland in Goodyear back in the 1970s,” George Getz, Globe Corporation president and co-CEO, said in the release. “It’s hard to believe that what once was a scallion farm has become the heart of the city.

“It brings me so much joy to be able to create a sense of community in this space. It’s a dream come true. I know that sounds cliché, but never would we have envisioned this. I’m confident Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ will rival any other city, and I’m thrilled to think about what this future downtown area will become in the years ahead.”

The park features built-in games including ping pong and chess, as well as a stage, color-changing art, bench swings and lighted walking paths.

The library, named after former Mayor Georgia T. Lord who passed away in December 2021, has a treehouse-themed children’s area, a grand staircase with seating, an enclosed outside patio, a teen room and a space for various workshops.

The idea for a new civic space was first purposed in 1984, with several citizen committees providing input on what was desired for the project.

A development agreement was approved by Goodyear City Council in August 2019 and ground was broken on the project in April of last year.

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