Downtown Revitalization Plan

City of El Mirage — Regular Meeting (2023-09-19)

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August
2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................4
Downtown History ...................................................................................... 4
Purpose ....................................................................................................... 5
What Does This Plan Include and Not Include? ...................................... 5
Where is Downtown El Mirage? ................................................................. 3
Regional Context ..................................................................................... 3
Study Area ............................................................................................... 3
Public Engagement ...................................................................................... 6
Community Survey .................................................................................. 6
Community Workshops & Event Pop-Ups .............................................. 9
EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................................................... 10
Demographics ........................................................................................... 11
Race & Ethnicity .................................................................................... 11
Age ........................................................................................................ 11
Disability ................................................................................................ 12
Households............................................................................................ 12
Housing ..................................................................................................... 12
Housing Type ......................................................................................... 12
Housing Age .......................................................................................... 14
Vacancy and Occupancy Type ............................................................... 15
Occupancy Over Time ........................................................................... 15
Housing Sales Price ............................................................................... 16
Housing Rent ......................................................................................... 16
Redevelopment Factors ............................................................................ 17
Land Use ................................................................................................ 17
Zoning .................................................................................................... 19
Building Permits .................................................................................... 21
Lot Size .................................................................................................. 21
Vacant Land ........................................................................................... 22
Gentry Park Master Plan 2022 Update ................................................. 23
Crime ..................................................................................................... 23
Land Ownership .................................................................................... 23
Development Constraints ..................................................................... 25
Economic Indicators .................................................................................. 26
Educational Attainment ........................................................................ 26
Unemployment ..................................................................................... 26
Poverty .................................................................................................. 26
Income................................................................................................... 26
Workforce by Industry and Occupations .............................................. 27
Business & Economic Development Inventory ......................................... 28
Retail Conditions ................................................................................... 28
Buildings of Note ................................................................................... 28
Building Vacancies ................................................................................. 29
MAG Employment Data ........................................................................ 30
Health of Business Mix .......................................................................... 30
Small Business Roundtable Discussion ................................................. 31
Economic Development Incentives ....................................................... 31
Organizational Structure Supporting Commercial Revitalization ......... 32
Marketing and Promotional Activities .................................................. 32
OPPORTUNITIES & CONSTRAINTS ........................................................... 33
Key Findings .............................................................................................. 33
Study Area Assets .................................................................................. 35
REVITALIZATION STRATEGY .................................................................... 37
Downtown Vision .................................................................................. 37
Revitalization Concepts ......................................................................... 37
Welcome, Clean & Safe Must be the Baseline ...................................... 38
Tell the Authentic Story ........................................................................ 39
Create Healthy Neighborhoods ............................................................. 40
Double-Down on Investment & Entrepreneurship ............................... 41
Be Bold, Challenge Sameness ............................................................... 43
Revitalization Framework ......................................................................... 44
Funding & Resource Opportunities ........................................................... 46
Grant Opportunities .............................................................................. 46
Resource & Support Opportunities ....................................................... 47

List of Figures
Figure 1: Regional Context……………………………………………………………………..…..3
Figure 2: Downtown Revitalization Study Area………………………………….………..4
Figure 3: Study Area Neighborhoods……………………………………………………….….5
Figure 4: Study Area Census Tracts……………………………………………………….…..10
Figure 5: Race………………………………………………………………………………….………..11
Figure 6: Hispanic/Latino Composition………………………………………….…………..11
Figure 7: Age Cohorts………………………………………………………………………………..11
Figure 8: Age of People with a Disability……………………………………………………12
Figure 9: Housing Type………………………………………………………………………………12
Figure 10: Building Age Map…………………………………………..…………………………13
Figure 11: Housing Age……………………………………………………………………………..14
Figure 12: Housing Age Distribution by Census Tract……………………….………..14
Figure 13: Housing Vacancy…………………………………………………………..….………15
Figure 14: Housing Occupancy…………………………………………………….…………….15
Figure 15: Housing Occupancy Over Time………………………………………………….15
Figure 16: El Mirage Home Price Trends 2011-2021…………………………………..16
Figure 17: El Mirage Rent Trends Q4 2010-Q4 2021…………………………………..16
Figure 18: General Plan Land Use Distribution…………………………………………..17
Figure 19: General Plan Land Use Map ..……………………………………………………18
Figure 20: Zoning Distribution ..…………………………………………………………………19
Figure 21: Zoning Map ………………………………………………………………………………20
Figure 22: Building Permits………………………………………………………………..….…..21
Figure 23: Lot Size Map ..………………………………………………………………….……….21
Figure 24: Vacant Land Parcel Zoning ……………………………………………………….22
Figure 25: Vacant Land Map …………………………………………………………………….22
Figure 26: Land Ownership Map ……………………………………………………………….24
Figure 27: Floodplain Map ………………………………………………………………………..25
Figure 28: Educational Attainment ……………………………………………………………26

Figure 29: Unemployment Rate ………………………………………………………………..26
Figure 30: Poverty …………………………………………………………………………………….26
Figure 31: Median Household Income …………….…………………………………………26
Figure 32: Workforce Industry Distribution …….…………………………………………27
Figure 33: Workforce Occupations ……………………………………………………………27
Figure 34: Map of Building Vacancies ……………………………………………………….29
Figure 35: Study Area Census Tracts ………………………………………………………….33
Figure 36: Opportunities & Constraints Map …………………………………………….36
Figure 37: Revitalization Framework ............................................................ 45
List of Tables
Table 1: Median Age ..................................................................................... 11
Table 2: Households ...................................................................................... 12
Table 3: General Plan Land Use Acreage ...................................................... 17
Table 4: Zoning Acreages .............................................................................. 19
Table 5: Vacant Land Parcel Zoning Distribution .......................................... 22
Table 6: Vacant Buildings in Study Area........................................................ 29
Table 7: Employment Cluster Summary ........................................................ 30
Table 8: Top 5 Employers by Number of Employees ..................................... 30
Table 9: Study Area Assets Inventory ............................................................ 35

A cornerstone to any community is a downtown
area. Growing from agrarian roots, El Mirage’s
downtown area has evolved around the original
townsite at the intersection of El Mirage and
Thunderbird Roads. As such, the desire to have
a more vibrant downtown that functions as a
community destination and gathering place has
emerged within the city. As El Mirage continues
to grow and evolve in the future, the City is
hoping to capture the potential of the original
townsite and surrounding neighborhoods by
complementing them with a more urban retail
and dining experience along Thunderbird Road
and the US-60. This Downtown Revitalization
Plan acts as a first step towards a more tangible
and defined downtown area to intentionally
foster local businesses and a unique gathering
place at the heart of El Mirage.

DOWNTOWN HISTORY
El Mirage was first settled in 1937 by migrant farm workers adjacent to the Agua Fria River, and south of
a major travel thoroughfare that would later become Grand Avenue and US Route 60. The area was
prime for establishing the agricultural operations that would be a cornerstone of the City’s economy for
decades to come. The community incorporated as a Town in 1951 with the original townsite consisting
of the residences along El Mirage Road north of Thunderbird Road. A series of municipal facilities were
built adjacent to Bill Gentry Park including the original City Hall and municipal court in the 1970’s and
1980’s. These facilities would adapt to include a Senior Center, Community Garden, and branch of the
Maricopa County Library System (before it was relocated) further solidifying the park and surrounding
area as the heart of El Mirage. More recently, the City has invested in streetscape improvements and
wayfinding along El Mirage and Thunderbird Roads, paving the way for continued revitalization of the
Historic Downtown Area.

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE
This Downtown Revitalization Plan is part of
ongoing efforts by the City of El Mirage to
promote economic development and
neighborhood stabilization in the downtown
area. This Plan is intended to create a strategic
planning and decision-making framework to
guide more effective community investment
decisions.

What
D oes
T his
P lan
Include and
N ot
Include?
The Downtown Revitalization Plan is comprised of an assessment of existing conditions, survey results
from the public, and recommendations of revitalization concepts, strategies and Actions to guide and
inform policy direction for future decisions.

INCUDES:
•
Public Engagement Results
•
Existing Conditions Assessment
•
Broad Revitalization Concepts
•
Specific Revitalization Strategies and
Actions
•
Funding and Resource Opportunities
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
•
Condemnation of Property
•
Amendments to the City’s Zoning
Ordinance, General Plan or Building Code
•
Private Land Acquisition
•
Relocation of Residents

WHERE IS DOWNTOWN

EL MIRAGE?Regional Context
El Mirage is located along the Agua Fria River in the
Northwest Valley of the greater Phoenix
Metropolitan Region. Grand Avenue/US Route 60
and Northern Avenue/Parkway provide direct
access to the community from surrounding areas.
The BNSF Railroad travels along Grand Avenue/US
Route 60 and bisects the community. Downtown El
Mirage is located in the northern part of the City,
roughly along Thunderbird Avenue as it approaches
Grand Avenue to the east.
Study Area
The Downtown Revitalization Plan Study Area is
bounded roughly by Grand Avenue/US Route 60 to
the northeast, the BNSF rail spur/Santa Fe Lane to
the northwest, 5th Avenue to the west, Thunderbird
Road to the south, 119th Avenue to the west, and
Cactus Road to the south.
Inclusive of the original townsite, the study area
comprises the following neighborhoods: West
Downtown El Mirage, East Downtown El Mirage
North Thunderbird, East Downtown El Mirage South
Thunderbird, Casa Mirage Apartments, Sunnyvale,
Plaza Manuel Ortega Apartments, Pueblo Futuro,
Arizona Brisas and parts of Grand Village.
Figure
1: Regional Context

Figure
2 : Downtown Revitalization
Study Area

Figure
3 : Study Area
Neighborhoods

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Public outreach for the Revitalization Plan centered
on community workshops, pop-up workshops at City
events, local business and property interviews, and
stakeholder meetings with the City.
Community Survey
The cornerstone of the public engagement efforts was
the Downtown Revitalization Plan Survey which was
open from the City’s Winterfest Event in December
2022 through the end of June in 2023. The 12-
question survey included 7 questions specifically
related to Downtown perception, vision, and
challenges, followed by 5 demographic questions. 195
residents completed the survey and the results have
been tabulated with the following charts.

Question 1: How often do you visit Downtown El Mirage for the following?

43.1%
43.3%
31.3%
31.6%
66.2%
74.7%
89.7%
69.1%
85.5%
21.5%
30.4%
42.6%
44.0%
29.7%
16.0%
7.2%
25.3%
6.2%
9.2%
13.9%
14.4%
17.1%
2.1%
6.2%
0.5%
3.1%
0.5%
26.2%
12.4%
11.8%
7.3%
2.1%
3.1%
2.6%
2.6%
7.8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Never
Occasionally or Rarely
One to Two times / Month
One or more times / Week

Question 2: When focusing on downtown
revitalization, what is most important to you?
(please rank in order of importance)

Question 3: Considering Downtown El Mirage, check five (5) changes that are necessary for
merchants to get even more of your business.

Question 4: Imagine Downtown El Mirage in ten years. How appealing are these future
scenarios?
Scenario 1: An attractive place to call home with new
living options that appeal to a wide variety of residents
from young adults to retirees.
Scenario 2: A meeting place and the center of
community activities with a mix of coffee shops, brew
pubs, cultural and recreation spaces.
Scenario 3: A niche place where authentic/local stores,
merchandise, and neighborhood convenience retail
stores are within walking distance.
Scenario 4: A destination retail center attracting
people from a distance with a mix of retailers.

7.47
5.87
7.29
6.54
6.25
5.4
6.75
6.09
2.83
7.57
3.93
Better walkability (i.e. sidewalks, shade, etc.)
More landscaping
More attractive building design/facades
Enhancing building/property maintenance
More places to gather and socialize
Independent stores over chains
Better variety of stores and entertainment
More places to eat
More parking options
Keeping streets and public areas clean and safe
More special events and festivals
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
78.3% 75.1% 66.7%
52.4%
40.2%
29.6% 29.1% 24.3% 22.2% 18.5%
11.1%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
4.2%
3.1%
1.1%
4.2%
6.8%
5.7%
7.3%
18.0%
42.7%
26.0%
36.1%
32.8%
46.4%
65.1%
55.5%
45.0%
Scenario
1
Scenario
2
Scenario
3
Scenario
4
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Don't Know
Not Appealing
Okay
Very Appealing

Question 5: What do you like most about the
Downtown area of El Mirage?
Key Themes: Small Town/Community Feel/Local
Businesses, Potential, Proximity, Recent
Improvements, Bill Gentry Park, History, Culture
Question 6: What do you dislike most about the
Downtown area of El Mirage?

Key Themes: Aesthetics/cleanliness, homelessness,
unsafe/crime, Vacant/undeveloped lots, lack of
retail/entertainment/destinations
Question 7: Please share any other thoughts, comments, ideas or suggestions that you have
regarding Downtown El Mirage or this planning project.

Key Themes: Greater variety of retail/entertainment options, more restaurants coffee shops and
brew pubs, outdoor recreations (pool, trails/ bike paths), Concerns about Safety,
cleanliness/façade improvements

Question 8: Do you Live in El Mirage?
Question 9: How long have you lived in El
Mirage?

95%
5%
Yes
No
31%
20%
24%
21%
4%
1-5 years
6-10 years
10-20 years
20+ years
Not applicable

Question 10: Do you own a business in El Mirage?

Question 11: What is your age range?

Question 12: What is your Gender?

Community Workshops &
Event
Pop
- Up
s
The Winterfest Event Pop-Up kicked off the survey on December 9, 2022 and also presented a
map for community desires and concerns with Downtown. Of the 58 map comments received, the
top 5 emerging themes were safety, aesthetics and cleanliness, more dining/entertainment/
recreation options, creating a community gathering place, and appreciation of culture and
heritage. A Survey Pop-Up was also present at the City’s Spring Faire on March 24, 2023.
Community Workshop 1 was on March 16, 2023 and provided an overview of existing conditions
to the public. Participants also had the chance to review the draft revitalization concepts and
provide feedback. The second Community Workshop took place on May 24, 2023. This workshop
presented the overarching plan and revitalization strategies that were reviewed by the public.
5%
95%
Yes
No
2%
4%
16%
30%
25%
17%
6%
Under 18
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
26%
70%
0% 2% 2%
Male
Female
Non-Binary
Would prefer not to say
Other (please specify)

This section evaluates the status of the Downtown Study
Area as it exists today. Demographics, Housing Statistics,
Redevelopment Factors, Economic Indicators, and a Business
and Economic Development inventory, serve to provide a
pulse on the current status of the Downtown Area.
Collectively, when coupled with public outreach these
insights inform the Revitalization Plan’s direction, identifies
trends, and serves to outline the foundational improvements
for a successful Downtown.

Due to limits in data availability at a smaller geographic scale, the following three census
tracts were analyzed in association with the existing conditions assessment: census tract
609.02, census tract 609.03, and census tract 609.04. These three census tracts cover
most of the extent of the Downtown Revitalization Plan study area, with the exception
of the undeveloped land northeast of US Route 60/Grand Avenue. Part of census tract
609.02 includes additional adjacent neighborhoods north of Thunderbird Road and
south of the BNSF railroad spur. Census tract 609.03 includes additional neighborhoods
south of Dalia Drive and north of Cactus Road.
Fi gure
4 : Study Area Census Tracts

EXISTING CONDITIONS

DEMOGRAPHICSRace & Ethni
city
Approximately 13,196 people live in the Downtown
Revitalization study area census tracts. Of the total population
of all three downtown census tracts, 57.5% identify as White
followed by 13.9% as Two or More and 14.7% as Other. More
than half of the study area (62.7%) identifies as Hispanic or
Latino.
Age
El Mirage has a younger median age than both the State and
County. Census tracts 609.03 and 609.04 have a younger
median age than the City while census tract 609.02 has a higher
median age than the State’s overall median. Over one third of
the study area is age 19 or Under, followed by one quarter
being age 35-55.
Figure
5 : Race

Figure
6 : Hispanic/Latino Composition

Figure
7 : Age Cohorts
Table
1: Median Age

All data on this page is sourced from: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates
57.5%
11.0%
1.2%
1.3%
0.3%
14.7%
13.9%
White
Black/African American
American Indian/Alaskan Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Other
Two or More
62.7%
37.3%
Hispanic/Latino Origin
Non Hispanic/Latino Origin
4,453
2,802
3,259
1,121
1,561
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
DT Census Tract Total
19 and under
20 - 34 yrs
35 - 54 yrs
55 - 64 yrs
65 and over

Median Age
Census Tract 609.02
40.9
Census Tract 609.03
28.4
Census Tract 609.04
30.5
El Mirage
32
Maricopa County
36.6
Arizona
37.9

Disability
1,478 people with a disability live within the study area
accounting for 31% of El Mirage’s total disability population.
Nearly one third of those people are minors or seniors with a
disability.

Figure
8: Age of People with a Disability
Households
The study area has 3,750 total households. El Mirage’s average
household size is larger than both the State and County at 3.28.
The study area census tracts have even higher average
household sizes with the highest (3.64) being in Census Tract
609.03.
Table
2 : Households
Geography
Average Household Size
Census Tract 609.02
3.51
Census Tract 609.03
3.64
Census Tract 609.04
3.37
El Mirage
3.28
Maricopa County
2.73
Arizona
2.65
HOUSINGHousing Type
Of the 4,016 total housing units in the study area, 3,505 are detached single family
accounting for 87.3% percent of the total housing stock.

Figure
9 : Housing Type

All data on this page is sourced from: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates
12.5%
57.9%
29.6%
Under 18 with a disability
18 to 64 with a disability
65 or Older with a disability
87.3%
1.4%
3.6%1.5% 4.3% 0.3% 1.5%
1-unit, detached
1-unit, attached
2 units
3 or 4 units
5 to 9 units
10 to 19 units
20 or more units

Figure
10 : Building Age Map

Housing Age
50% of the housing stock in the study area was constructed
between 1950 and 1959. Nearly an additional quarter (23.8%)
was built the following decade in the 1960’s. Since then, the
largest addition (8.7%) in housing units was constructed in the
1990’s. As seen from Maricopa County Assessors data, much of
the older housing stock is located in the West Downtown, East
Downtown North Thunderbird, East Downtown South
Thunderbird, and Sunnyvale neighborhoods. Pueblo Futuro and
Arizona Brisas were developed much later in the 1980s and
beyond.
Figure
11 : Housing Age

Figure
12 : Housing Age Distribution by Census Tract

All data on this page is sourced from: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates
0.6%
0.4%
50.2%
23.8%
6.9%
5.6%
8.7%
2.7%
0.5%
0.6%
Built 1939 or earlier
Built 1940 to 1949
Built 1950 to 1959
Built 1960 to 1969
Built 1970 to 1979
Built 1980 to 1989
Built 1990 to 1999
Built 2000 to 2009
Built 2010 to 2013
Built 2014 or later
Census Tract
609.02
Census Tract
609.03
Census Tract
609.04
Built 2014 or later
0
0
26
Built 2010 to 2013
22
0
0
Built 2000 to 2009
59
0
49
Built 1990 to 1999
314
29
5
Built 1980 to 1989
198
14
11
Built 1970 to 1979
102
132
43
Built 1960 to 1969
143
472
341
Built 1950 to 1959
306
957
753
Built 1940 to 1949
17
0
0
Built 1939 or earlier
23
0
0
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800

Vacancy and Occupancy Type
The study area has a 93% occupancy for total housing units.
Almost 60% of the study area’s housing is owner occupied, with
the remaining 40% renter occupied.
Figure
13 : Housing Vac
ancy

Figure
14 : Housing Occupancy

Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates.

Occupancy
O ver Time
While the overall study area has seen an increase and slight decrease of rental occupied
units overtime, census tract 609.04 has seen a steady increase in rental units while the
609.02 and 609.3 has seen a more recent decrease.
Figure
15 : Housing Occupancy Over Time

Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2010, 2015, and 2020 5 Year Estimates.
93.4%
6.6%
Occupied
housing units
Vacant
housing units
59.7%
40.3%
Owner-occupied
Renter-occupied
1,950
1,735
2,238
876
1,580
1,512
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2010
2015
2020
Downtown Census
Tracts Occupancy Type
Over Time
Owner-occupied
Renter-occupied
624
596
653
233
438
480
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2010
2015
2020
Census Tract 609.04
Occupancy Type Over
Time
Owner-occupied
Renter-occupied
930
700
974
285
655
579
0
500
1,000
1,500
2010
2015
2020
Census Tract 609.03
Occupancy Type Over
Time
Owner-occupied
Renter-occupied
396
439
611
358
487
453
0
200
400
600
800
2010
2015
2020
Census Tract 609.02
Occupancy Type Over
Time
Owner-occupied
Renter-occupied

Housing Sales Price
The following analysis of home sales price and rent price trends
for the City were identified from the Maricopa Association of
Governments (MAG) Housing Data Portal. In January of 2015,
the median sales price for a home in El Mirage was $127,500
and rose steadily until about December of 2020 where prices
then saw a steeper increase until peaking at $360,000 in
November of 2021. Over the past 10 years, the City has seen a
significant shift in sales price from being predominantly under
$200,000 to a majority of sales prices being in the $300,000-
$400,000 range. Between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the 4th
quarter of 2021, El Mirage saw a 41% increase in median sales
price, ranking 3rd highest among MAG member agencies.
Housing Rent
Median rent for El Mirage overall is $813 in the fourth quarter
of 2021, with two bedroom units median rent being $968 and
three or more bedroom units having a median rent at $1091.
Over time, the City has seen increasing rent prices and over the
past 10 years, with rents under $500 becoming virtually no
longer existent. Higher rents in the $1000-$1500 range have
taken up a larger market share within 2021.

Figure
16 : El Mirage H
ome Price Trends 2011
- 2021

Figure
17 : El Mirage Rent Trends Q4 2010
-Q4 2021

Source: Maricopa Association of Governments Housing Data Portal

R EDEVELOPMENT FACTORS

Land Use
When reviewing the City’s General Plan, over half (62.3%) of the
study area is categorized within the Neighborhoods land use
type. The Thunderbird Core (TC) land use type covers most of
the commercial and vacant lot frontage along Thunderbird
Road, and accounts for 13.4% of the study area. The Mixed Use
(MU) land use type covers most of the study area north of
Thunderbird Road and east of El Mirage Road roughly covering
the remaining study area (22.3%).

Figure
18
: General Plan
Land Use Distribution

Table
3 : General Plan
Land Use Acreage
Sources: City of El Mirage

22.3%
62.3%
2.1%
13.4%
Mixed-Use
Neighborhoods
Open Space
Thunderbird Core
LU Code
Land Use
Acreage
MU
Mixed-Use
150.9
NB
Neighborhoods
422.3
OS
Open Space
14.3
TC
Thunderbird Core
90.5
Total
678.0

Figure
19
: General Plan
Land Use Map

Zoning
Grand Avenue and Thunderbird Road are the primary
commercial corridors in the study area and are zoned Urban
Corridor (UC). The area of the original townsite north of
Thunderbird and roughly east of El Mirage Road is zoned for
Mixed Urban (MU). Larger undeveloped parcels on the east side
of the study area are also zoned MU. The rest of the study area
is predominantly zoned Suburban Neighborhood (SN) with the
exception of the Natural Reserve (NR) zoned parcel for Bill
Gentry Park and the one parcel northeast of Grand Avenue
zoned for Transit Development (TD). Collectively 50% of the
study area is zoned for SN, 30% is zoned for MU, and 18% is
zoned for UC.

Figure
20 : Zoning
Distribution
Table
4 : Zoning Acreages

Source: City of El Mirage

29.9%
0.7%
49.7%
1.2%
18.4%
Mixed Urban
Natural Reserve
Suburban Neighborhood
Transit Development
Urban Core
Zoning Acronym
Zoning Category
Acreage
MU
Mixed Urban
159.5
NR
Natural Reserve
4.0
SN
Suburban
Neighborhood
265.0
TD
Transit Development
6.5
UC
Urban Core
98.0
(N/A)
Right-of-Way Acreage
145.0
Total
678.0

Figure
21 : Zoning Map

Figure
22
: Building Permits
Building Permits
Over the past six years building permits have generally been
distributed across the study area. However, many of the larger
commercial parcels in the study area were issued building
permits in 2020, while many of the building permits in Pueblo
Futuro, Sunnyvale, and Arizona Brisas neighborhoods were
issued more recently within the past three years.

Figure
23
: Lot Size Map
Lot Size
Lot sizes in the study area can roughly be broken down into 3 categories:
original townsite residential, 1990s Suburban residential, and larger
commercial lots along Grand Avenue and Thunderbird Road. The largest lots
are clustered along the east and north periphery of the Study Area as well as
at the east and west gateways to Downtown along Thunderbird Road.

Vacant Land
There is a cluster of larger undeveloped lots in the eastern study
area adjacent to the former active land fill site. Larger Lots of
existing community scale commercial are located at key
intersections along Thunderbird Road and Grand Avenue/US
Route 60. The largest vacant lots exist northeast of Arizona
Brisas neighborhood along the eastern study area boundary
with the exception of the large vacant lot along Thunderbird
Road adjacent to the Casa El Mirage Apartments. Smaller vacant
lots line the north side of Thunderbird Road from El Mirage
Road to the junction with the US-60. More than half of the
existing vacant parcels are zoned Urban Core (UC). Followed by
nearly a third being zoned for Mixed Urban (MU).
Figure
24 : Vacant Land
Parcel
Zoning

Table
5: Vacant Land Parcel Zoning Distribution

Figure
25 : Vacant Land Map

Source: City of El Mirage

57.7%
27.4%
1.1%
13.7%
Urban Core
Mixed Urban
Transit Development
Suburban Neighborhood
Zoning
Acronym
Zoning Category
Number of Vacant
Parcels
UC
Urban Core
101
MU
Mixed Urban
48
SN
Suburban Neighborhood
24
TD
Transit Development
2
Total
175

As the premier open space amenity in the study area, Gentry
Park is a vital component of Downtown El Mirage. The Gentry
Park Master Plan was recently updated by the City in 2022. The
updated plan focuses on reprogramming the park space to be
more effectively utilized as a regional park destination from the
results of the Recreation Facility Assessment and Level of
Service Analysis.

Crime
Crime counts were evaluated from January 1, 2021 to
November 31, 2022. 166 incidents involving Drug Violations
accounted for nearly one third (27%) of the crime in the study
area. Simple Assault (14%), All other Larceny (11%), Aggravated
Assault (6%), and Drug/Narcotic Violations (5%) round off the
top 5 crime counts.

Land Ownership
The vast majority of the study area is privately owned. El Mirage owns select parcels in
the study area inclusive of Bill Gentry Park, the Municipal Court, Senior Center and El
Mirage Community Garden as well as a parcels along Alto Street for Public Works
Administration and water utility infrastructure. The City also owns the parcel to the west
of the US Post Office, Water tank parcels south of Thunderbird Road and the parcels for
North and South Brisas Parks. Linear parcels along the wash alignment, Cesar Chaves
Drive alignment and the drainage channel to the east of Arizona Brisas neighborhood
are also owned by the City. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) owns a
cluster of parcels at the southwestern intersection of Thunderbird Road and Grand
Avenue/US Route 60. The BNSF Railroad owns the parcel just north of Santa Fe Lane for
the rail spur on the northern side of the study area. The Housing Authority of Maricopa
County owns two parcels of public housing located in the West Downtown
neighborhood.
While Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s) and out-of-state owned residential parcels are
scattered across the study area, the Arizona Brisas neighborhood has a greater
concentration of these non-owner occupied housing units than other neighborhoods in
the study area.

Figure
26 : Land Ownership Map

Development Constraints

Floodplain
The Agua Fria River is a major floodway within El Mirage and the
greater West Valley. While the river abuts a corner of the study
area, it does not pose any direct limitation to the development
within the study area. Scattered parcels along the eastern side
of the study area fall within the 100 year flood plain as well as
one parcel in the western portion of the study area south of
Thunderbird within a wash that bisects the community.
Some parcels adjacent to the study area northeast along Grand
Avenue/US Route 60 and the BNSF Railroad are part of the
regulatory floodway. While technically not within the study
area, the close proximity of the floodway to vacant parcels
within the study area may require further technical
considerations and drainage studies for final development.

Luke
Airforce
Base
Luke Airforce Base is located southeast of El Mirage. Due to the
close proximity to the air force base, the City is greatly impacted
by the base high noise contours and accident potential zones.
Land uses within these areas are greatly limited by state statute
A.R.S. §28-8481 to prevent interference with base operations
and ensure civilian safety. Nearly half of the study area falls
within the 65ldn High Noise Contour of Luke Air Force Base
which has significant limitations on new or additional residential
development

Figure
27 : Floodplain Map

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Educational Attainment
Over one third of the study area has less than a high school
diploma, 29% have a High School Diploma and 10.2% have a
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher.
Unemployment
El Mirage’s City unemployment rate is lower than the State
overall and on par with the County overall. Census Tract 609.04
has a similar rate of unemployment around 5-6%. Census Tract
609.02 is higher at 7% and Census Tract 609.03 is nearly twice
as high at 9.5% when compared to the City overall.
Poverty
In census tracts 609.03 and 609.04, the amount of people and
families experiencing poverty is fairly consistent with the City
overall. However, the poverty levels for people and families in
census tract 609.02 are significantly higher, nearly double the
rates of the City.
Income
The median household income for all three downtown census
tracts is lower than the City, county and state median
household income. Census tract 609.02 has the lowest median
household income at $43,650 where census tract 609.03 is just
below the City’s overall median.

Figure
28 : Educational Attainment
Figure
29 : Unemp
loyment Rate

Figure
30 : Poverty
Figure
31 : Median Household Income
All data on this page is sourced from: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates
7.0%
9.5%
5.2%
5.4%
5.1%
5.8%
0%
5%
10%
Census Tract
609.02
Census Tract
609.03
Census Tract
609.04
El Mirage
Maricopa
County
Arizona
35.6%
29.1%
17.2%
7.9%
7.5%
2.7%
Less than a High School Diploma
High School Graduate
Some College
Associate Degree
Bachelor’s Degree
Graduate/Professional Degree
25.7%
12.5%
15.5%
12.0%
9.1%
10.1%
33.3%
13.7%
17.0%
15.6%
12.7%
14.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Census Tract
609.02
Census Tract
609.03
Census Tract
609.04
El Mirage
Maricopa
County
Arizona
Families In Poverty
Poverty Level
$43,650
$57,853
$53,393
$59,975
$67,799
$61,529
$0
$50,000
$100,000
Census Tract
609.02
Census Tract
609.03
Census Tract
609.04
El Mirage
Maricopa
County
Arizona

Workforce by Industry and Occupation
s
32% of the City’s workforce lives within the study area. Service
Occupations account for 28.9% of the workforce in the study
area followed by Management, Business, Science and Arts
Occupations accounting for nearly one fourth of the workforce
as well as Sales and Office Occupations at 20.7%. Professional,
Scientific, and Management, and Administrative and Waste
Management Services industries employ the most workforce in
the Study Area. Other significant workforce industries include
Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate; Other Services except
Public Administration; Transportation and Warehousing; and
Wholesale Trade.

Figure
32 : Workforce Industry Distribution

Figure
33 : Workforce Occupations

All data on this page is sourced from: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 5 Year Estimates.
57
63
75
212
253
316
359
418
610
648
679
690
1,008
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Manufacturing
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining
Retail trade
Information
Educational services, and health care and social assistance
Construction
Public administration
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services
Wholesale trade
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
Other services, except public administration
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services
24.4%
28.9%
20.7%
13.5%
12.5%
Management, business, science, and arts occupations
Service occupations
Sales and office occupations
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
occupations
Production, transportation, and material moving
occupations

BUSINESS
&
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVENTORY
R etail Conditions
El Mirage Downtown commercial area provides the basic goods
and services for the surrounding neighborhoods. The overall
business mix consists of retail, service and food establishments.
Coury’s Grand Plaza is the main shopping center located in the
study area with Food City as the main anchor. The remaining
commercial enterprises within the Study Area are primarily
scattered along the Grand Ave frontage road and Thunderbird
Road. Old City Hall is located in the original townsite which now
houses the Fellowship Church. Using a windshield tour for
general reference, the overall condition of the commercial
building stock in the study area ranges from needing minimal
improvements (signage, paint, window replacements) to major
façade renovations. El Mirage Road between Thunderbird Road
and Santa Fe Lane is primarily residential on the east side of the
road with Bill Gentry Park, the El Mirage Senior Center and the
El Mirage Community Garden anchoring the west side of the
street. The streetscape in this section of the project area has
been reduced from four lanes to just two lanes of traffic with
bike lanes, new sidewalks and landscaping added, all creating a
friendlier and more walkable experience for residents and
visitors. Just south of the project area along El Mirage Rd is the
relocated new El Mirage Library which also adds to the synergy
of this area.

Thunderbird Corridor consists of a mix of several shopping centers including Walmart
anchoring the west boundary (at Dysart Rd. and Thunderbird Rd.) and the West
Thunderbird Plaza and Plaza El Mirage. West Thunderbird Plaza is anchored by Domino’s
with a variety of other smaller shops and appears to be vibrant and in good physical
condition. Plaza El Mirage appears to be underutilized and somewhat vacant with only
one pop up restaurant operating in the parking lot. The Bill Gentry Park is located at the
intersection of El Mirage and Thunderbird and adjacent to Plaza El Mirage. On the east
end of Thunderbird Rd. there are a variety free standing business that are in varying
condition from the new Family Dollar store to some needing major renovations.
There are a number of infill opportunities along the Thunderbird Corridor ranging from
less than an acre to over 8 acres. All of the sites are currently in private ownership with
the City owning no parcels within this section of the project area.
Buildings of Note
▪
City Building/Facilities
▫ Bill Gentry Park (14010 N El Mirage Rd)
▫ El Mirage Senior Center (14010 N El Mirage Rd)
▫ El Mirage Community Garden (14010 N El Mirage Rd)
▫ El Mirage Public Works Utility Customer Services (14011 N 1st Ave)
(pending move)
▫ El Mirage Community Services - Cada Uno Building (14406 N Alto St)
(pending move)
▫ Municipal Court (14010 N El Mirage Rd)
▪
US Post office (11925 W Thunderbird Rd)
▪
Community Health Center (12428 W Thunderbird Rd, El Mirage, AZ 85335)
▪
Dysart Community Center (14414 N El Mirage Rd)
▪
Retail Plazas
▫ Coury’s Grand Plaza (Food City Plaza) (12321 NW Grand Ave)
▫ West Thunderbird Plaza (12500 W Thunderbird Rd)
▫ Plaza El Mirage (12420 W Thunderbird Rd)
▫ Blue Retail Building (12102 W Thunderbird Rd) (See #4 on Table 6)

Building Vacancies
There are currently five building vacancies identified by the
City’s Economic Development Department for business
attraction. Four of those sites are zoned Urban Core, with the
remaining site zoned Mixed Urban. Sites 3 and 4 are retail
plazas and sites 1, 2, and 5 are light industrial uses. Site 5 has
been identified for redevelopment from the City. The Mercado,
also known as Plaza El Mirage (12420 W. Thunderbird Road), is
only 25% occupied. A real estate report prepared for the City
lists the building constructed in 1980 with a total of 48,000 sq ft.
The two largest commercial areas are Thunderbird Plaza and
Coury’s Grand Plaza, both of which are fully occupied. Auto
Zone purchased a vacant building near Walmart and has
expansion plans for the space. Coury’s Plaza rents month-to-
month and is primarily Spanish speaking businesses. Food City
is the anchor and total square footage for the plaza is 62,000 sq
ft. The plaza was built in 1976. The City currently has approved
plans for a Rally Burger, Jiffy Lube, and El Mirage Car Wash
within the study area.

Table
6: Vacant Buildings in Study Area

Figure
34 : Map of Building Vacancie
s

Source: City of El Mirage

Site
#
Address
Type of Space
Min. Size
Max Size
Zoning Year Built
Total Acres Opportunity Zone
Status
1
12345 NW Grand Ave
Industrial
12,000 sqft
12,000 sqft
UC
1969
5
No
For Sale
2
14400 N Palm St
Industrial
2,200 sqft
2,200 sqft
MU
2012
0.18
Yes
For Sale
3
12550 W Thunderbird Rd
Retail
950 sqft
2,176 sqft
UC
2004
2.01
Yes
For Lease
4
12102 W Thunderbird Rd
Retail

UC
2005
0.35
Yes
For Sale
5
13714 N Main St
Industrial
32,670 sqft
32,670 sqft
UC
2022
0.75
No
For Sale

MAG Employment Data
The Maricopa Association of Governments compiles regional
employment data via a survey of businesses with five or more
employees. From this survey the Top 5 Ranking Employers in
the study area are identified in Table 8 with ties for 4th and 5th
place. Significant employment clusters for the study area are
within Retail, Business and Consumer Services (See Table 7).
Health of Business Mix
In the Retail Leakage and Surplus Analysis report completed for
the City by Buxton, the quantitative comparison of retail
leakage and surplus in the twelve major store types indicated
that El Mirage has an estimate retail sales leakage of
$57,175,373. Retail leakage means that residents are spending
more for products than local businesses capture suggesting that
there is unmet demand in the trade area and that the
community can support additional store space for all twelve of
the major store types.
Table
7 : Employment Cluster Summary

Table
8: Top 5 Employers by Number of Employees

Sources: Maricopa Association of Governments Employers of 5+ Employees Database
Cluster
# of
Employers
# of
Employees
Business Services
1
140
Consumer Services
11
120
Retail
7
110
Education
2
80
Transportation &
Distribution
3
50
Construction
3
30
Finance, Insurance, & Real
Estate (FIRE)
3
20
Government, Social, &
Advocacy Services
2
20
Telecommunications
3
20
Health Care
1
7
Media, Publishing &
Entertainment
1
5
Rank Employer Name
# of
Employees Cluster
NAICS Description
1
Parks & Sons of Sun
City Inc
140
Business
Services
Solid Waste
Collection
2
Dysart Unified School
District 89
80
Education
Elementary and
Secondary Schools
3
Food City
70
Retail
Supermarkets and
Other Grocery
(except Convenience)
Stores
4
Rio Mirage Cafe Y
Cantina
30
Consumer
Services
Full-Service
Restaurants
United States Postal
Service
30
Transportation
& Distribution
Postal Service
5
Mario’s Pizza
20
Consumer
Services
Limited-Service
Restaurants
Grand Enterprises Inc
20
Construction
Residential
Remodelers
Dominos Pizza
20
Consumer
Services
Limited-Service
Restaurants

Small Business Roundtable Discussion
On August 17, 2022, The City of El Mirage held a roundtable
discussion and conducted small business visitations. Two of the
11 businesses in attendance of the roundtable meeting were
located in the study area. Flyers, social media, digital boards,
and personal visits were employed to notify 49 businesses
about the meeting. The City also spoke to 17 Spanish speaking
businesses to gather information on training needs and
encouraged them to attend the roundtable event. Comments
from businesses in the study area from the meeting and visits
include the following:
▪
Property crime to include graffiti, illegal dumping,
shoplifting, and loitering are the prime issues small
businesses face.
▪
Inadequate parking east of El Mirage Road on
Thunderbird is an issue.
▪
No businesses took advantage of PPP or Idle Loans
during the pandemic.
▪
Many businesses struggle with hiring and keeping
employees.
▪
Businesses are very concerned with rising costs
from suppliers.
▪
Most businesses have recovered from losses due to
the pandemic.
▪
Auto repair is doing better because people are
holding on to their old vehicles.
▪
RV sales have increased as a result of the pandemic.

Ec onomic Development IncentivesOpportunity Zone
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the Opportunity Zone tax incentive program to
encourage public and private investment into economically distressed areas. This
designation encourages capital investment into select census tracts in each state.
Census tract 609.02 in the City of El Mirage has been identified as an Opportunity Zone
and covers the northern portions of the study area roughly from Thunderbird Road
North to Grand Avenue and the BNSF rail spur/Santa Fe Lane.
HUBZone Program
The US Small Business Administration facilitates the HUBZone program for fostering
small business growth in historically underutilized business zones. The program aims to
award at least 3% of federal contract dollars to HUBZone certified companies each year.
All three census tracts within the study area are SBA HUBZone designated. Qualified
businesses within these census tracts may qualify for set-aside contracts from the
federal government.
Other Incentives:
▪
New Market Tax Credits
▪
No Development Impact Fees – Savings can reach to more than $600k
▪
Accelerated permitting process
▪
No Additional Construction Sales Taxes
▪
Pre-Approval Foreign Trade Zone – Up to 75% property tax reduction
▪
Arizona Job Training Program – Up to $5k per eligible new employee
▪
Qualified Facility Tax Credit Program – Provides a refundable tax credit
▪
Accelerated depreciation on real property
▪
Quality Jobs Tax Credit – Qualifying companies may receive up to a $9k income
tax credit for each new “quality job” created over a three-year period.
▪
Private Activity Bonds – Issued by local industrial development authorities on
behalf of local government entities for private users.
▪
Programs – The City has offered classes designed to help small businesses and
entrepreneurship at the new library.

Organizational Structure Supporting Commercial Revitalization
Many economic development organizations contribute to the
long-term success of communities and their downtowns. El
Mirage is an active participating member of International
Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Urban Land Institute (ULI),
and WESTMARC. The City does not have an official business
association or Chamber of Commerce specific to El Mirage.
However, the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce serves
five communities of the northwest Valley: Surprise, Sun City,
Sun City West, El Mirage and Youngtown since 1963. The
nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is located at
Glendale Community College in Glendale.

Ma rketing and Promotional Activities
Community Events and Programming
El Mirage has a well-developed community programming
schedule. The City hosts four large community events: Fall
Harvest Festival (October), Winterfest (December), Public Safety
Day (February), and Spring Faire (April). The City offers
businesses the opportunity to apply to be a community vendor
and/or a food vendor in addition to sponsorship opportunities
for each of the events. It was estimated that 5,000 attended the
2022 Fall Harvest Festival.
Communication and Social Media
The City Quarterly Newsletter, “El Mirage Connect”, is printed
and mailed quarterly to all El Mirage households and businesses
as well as made available electronically on the City’s website.
The City also maintains a Facebook page (4.8k followers);
Twitter (2,124 followers); Instagram (1,297 followers), YouTube
Channel (26 subscribers), Next Door account and LinkedIn
Business Profile (582 followers).

This section provides recommendations based on the key
findings from the study’s existing conditions and public input.
Opportunities and Constraints are identified to form a
foundational starting point for the Study Area.

Figure
35 : Study Area Census Tracts

KEY
FINDINGS
The overwhelming majority of the study area’s housing stock is detached single family
units that were built during the 1950’s and owner occupied. Much of the housing stock
in the West Downtown, East Downtown North Thunderbird, East Downtown South
Thunderbird, and Sunnyvale neighborhoods is at least 50 years of age, making them
eligible for potential registration and designation as historic properties. Census tract
609.04 has seen a greater increase in rental housing units over time than compared to
the other two downtown census tracts specifically in the Arizona Brisas neighborhood.
Both sales prices and rents have increased in El Mirage over the past decade with a
significant shift in affordability. The onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic caused a surge in
housing prices in 2020 that has only been further exacerbated in 2021 and 2022 with
more housing market volatility.
Census tract 609.02 has consistently different economic indicators than the other two
downtown census tracts. This is inclusive of a lower median household income, higher
median age and average household size, as well as higher rates of poverty and
unemployment.
Overall, the higher median age and larger household sizes are indicative of older families
and multi-generational families living within the study area. This is further represented
with the larger populations of under 19 years of age and the 35-54 Age Cohorts.
OPPORTUNITIES & CONSTRAINTS

The study area has a workforce highly specialized in Service
Occupations within Professional, Scientific, and Management,
and Administrative and Waste Management Services Industry.
Most people within the study area have a high school education
or higher.
Land Use and Zoning overall are fairly conducive to promoting
redevelopment and should not pose a significant impediment to
development potential. Existing commercial development is
localized along Thunderbird Road and Grand Ave/US Route 60.
The Thunderbird Core Land Use promotes a more pedestrian
friendly character along Thunderbird Road, a key commercial
corridor in the study area. The East Downtown North
Thunderbird neighborhood and the large cluster of vacant
parcels along the eastern boundary of the study area south of
Plaza Manuel Ortega Apartments hold more flexibility in
development potential with their current land use and zoning
designations.
The Floodplain of the Agua Fria does not impede the
development potential of the study area, however some parcels
remain greatly impacted by 100 year flood plain hazard inclusive
of the wash parcel in the western study area and the cluster of
large vacant parcels along the eastern boundary of the study
area. Special considerations for drainage may be needed due to
the close proximity of a regulatory floodway to the vacant
commercial sites north of Grand Avenue/US Route 60.
Nearly half of the study area falls within the 65 DNL Noise
Contour of Luke AFB greatly limiting further residential
development along most of Thunderbird Road and the Pueblo
Futuro, Sunnyvale, and Arizona Brisas neighborhoods.
Most of the vacant land in the study area is centrally located
along Thunderbird Road and Thompson Ranch Road. Other
significant clusters of vacant parcels exist northeast of the
Arizona Brisas neighborhood along the eastern study area
boundary and smaller clusters along Grand Avenue/ US Route 60 and in the East
Downtown North Thunderbird neighborhood. Vacant lot sizes along Thunderbird are
conducive to retail development but may require shared parking solutions to maximize
developable space. One of the biggest challenges for commercial growth in the
revitalization area is lack of leasable space. Most retail buildings are occupied and the
cost to build is too high at this point in time.
ADOT owns a significant cluster of vacant parcels at essentially the gateway to the
downtown area at Thunderbird Rd. and Grand Avenue/US Route 60.
All three downtown census tracts are designated in the SBA HUBZones and census tract
609.02 is designated as an Opportunity Zone both of which have great potential for
expanding investment into local businesses in the area.

Study Area Assets
In terms of regional transportation, the study area is well
connected regionally with both the US-60 and BNSF Railroad,
which could possibly support commuter rail in the future,
presenting significant assets to the Downtown Area. Proposed
trail alignments along the wash corridors through the City could
also provide additional multi-modal connectivity. The study area
also contains a variety of assets inclusive of public/quasi-public
community resources and retail plazas that are currently vacant.
Collectively, these assets provide opportunity for more
consistent foot traffic with regular and specialized trips to
downtown. These assets are identified in the following table
and map.

Table
9: Study Area Assets Inventory
#
Asset
Asset Type
1
Bill Gentry Park
Public/Quasi-Public
Community Resources
2
Senior Center
3
Community Garden
4
Public Works Utility Customer Services
5
Community Services - Cada Uno Building
6
Municipal Court
7
US Post office
8
Community Health Center
9
Dysart Community Center
10 Library
11 El Mirage Elementary School
12 Fire Station
13 Riverview Elementary School
14 Pueblo Futuro Neighborhood Park
15 North Brisas Park
16 South Brisas Park
17 Coury’s Grand Plaza (Food City Plaza)
Retail Plazas
18 West Thunderbird Plaza
19 Plaza El Mirage
20 12102 W Thunderbird Rd

Figure
36 : Opportunities & Constraints Map

Created using information obtained through the existing
condition assessment and priorities identified through the
community engagement process, the Revitalization
Strategy outlined in this section is intended to provide an
implementation roadmap for Downtown El Mirage.

The organization of this section has been broken out into two
components, Downtown Vision – “Where we are headed” and
Revitalization Concepts – “How We’ll Get There”. Each Concept
is defined by a set of strategies that are then supported by
specific actions that can be carried out by the City, local
stakeholders, private investors and/or residents. While many of
the strategies and actions outlined within the section can be
addressed through independent efforts, the greatest level of
success will most likely be achieved through collaborative
partnerships.
Through public input and coordination with key stakeholders,
the following vision statement was drafted to form the basis for
the El Mirage Downtown Revitalization Concepts described and
illustrated within this section.
Downtown
Vision
Downtown El Mirage is the city’s centerpiece, offering a casual environment where
residents and visitors of all ages can gather. New development provides a cultural
mixture of uses that enhance the visual quality and capacity of the area, while also
preserving compatibility with existing character contributing development. Downtown
includes a diverse range of housing types, retail uses, services, public spaces, and
recreational opportunities. It functions as the heart of the community, offering
opportunity for residents to create stronger social bonds as well as provides destination
opportunities for visitors from the greater region.

Revitali
zation Concepts
The Revitalization Concepts are guided by an overarching vision and then sorted into
five topic areas – Perception & Safety, History & Culture, Community Building, Economic
Opportunity & Growth, Experiences & Public Realm. Each Revitalization Concept is
structured by specific strategies, which are further supported by outlining individual
actions that provide more direct implementation guidance. While many of the strategies
and actions outlined within the section can be addressed through independent efforts,
the greatest level of success will most likely be achieved through collaborative
partnerships.

REVITALIZATION STRATEGY

Welcome, Clean
& Safe Must
be the Baseline
- Perception & Safety
-

Celebrate Downtown’s existing assets and ensure future growth
supports the creation of an attractive and safe district.
Businesses should contribute to the overall character of the
area, homeowners must feel that ongoing property
maintenance and improvement investments will pay off, and
residents overall should feel good about living in the downtown
area.

DO
Strategy: Keep downtown as clean and visually appealing as
possible.
Actions:
▪
On a quarterly basis, assemble a group of Downtown
business/property owners and residents to conduct a
thorough assessment of the overall cleanliness of
Downtown (including adjacent neighborhoods) and the
condition of all public amenities. Create a checklist and
forward any issues or concerns to the appropriate
agency, property owner, or business owner.

▪
Hold a “Spruce Up Downtown” event, potentially in late
October (fourth Saturday of the month) in conjunction
with National “Make a Difference Day”.

▪
Create and distribute a “Downtown Clean and Safe” bulletin that lists clean and
safe information relevant to Downtown businesses, commercial property
owners, and Downtown residents.

Strategy: Encourage neighborhood/property owner-initiated improvements and
beautification work on existing properties.
Actions:
▪
Coordinate with HUD and other not-for-profit organizations to explore property
improvement grants. Promote and utilize funding resources, such as CDBG and
HOME program funding, to provide owner-occupied housing rehabilitation
assistance and/or advance home repairs to address health and safety hazards.
This includes continuing/educating residents on programs such as the
Community Action Program (CAP).

▪
Continue to encourage key property and business owners to improve their
storefronts and business signage to enhance downtown’s image by promoting
and showcasing best practice conditions that contribute to the positive
character of the surrounding area.

▪
Promote high-quality infrastructure and amenity improvements in strategic
public areas to further bolster the confidence of property owners to invest in
their properties and establish higher standards when they do. Improvements to
these public areas will be highly visible to residents citywide and the broader
market, so their contributing impact will be greater.

▪
Continue ongoing and consistent Code enforcement efforts. Code enforcement
staff should undertake proactive inspections rather than rely solely on a
complaint-based system.

DON’T
Spend too much time or effort ridding select areas of problem properties. All
communities have them. Often, focusing limited time and resources on negative
conditions is far more costly than leveraging pre-existing strengths.

Tell the Authentic Story
- History & Culture
-

Build on the historic and cultural assets of El Mirage and the
downtown area to create a place and a culture of inclusivity
unlike any other.

DO
Strategy: Position Downtown as a destination by building on El
Mirage’s heritage and cultural assets.

Actions:
▪
Downtown needs a better-defined brand that speaks to
its unique identity and tells an authentic story. Develop
a unified visual concept (logo) and message for both
“Thunderbird Blvd.” as well as “Downtown El Mirage”
and incorporate it in all marketing collateral used for
each specific area and encouraging businesses to use
the logo in their own advertising and marketing
campaigns.

▪
Implement new Gateway Signage that is specific to
Downtown El Mirage.

▪
Look for opportunities to celebrate Downtown’s culture
and history in public places (murals, celebrations,
streetscape improvements, public amenities). Focus on
significant clustering of cultural assets to maximize
affect. Consider establishing a citizen led art
commission or working group that can help to
recommend and prioritize program efforts.

▪
Welcome opportunity for spontaneous cultural programming. Emphasize
temporary, interactive, engaging works that utilize existing infrastructure (bus
shelters, utility boxes, light posts, sidewalks and crosswalks). Collaborate with
west valley art organizations like WHAM or non-arts community-based
organizations like schools, churches, social service agencies, and recreation
centers that provide cultural opportunities as part of their programming.

▪
Look for opportunities to fully leverage new developments for entrepreneurial
and business opportunities as well as bringing new markets to downtown.

▪
In concert with forming a downtown business group, develop a marketing
campaign to help promote Downtown and its amenities to locals, new residents,
dayworkers, etc.

DON’T
Remove the Downtown area of older homes and buildings, unless buildings are
structurally unsafe. Just because an older building is in disrepair, does not mean it
should be demolished. Seek federal, state, and/or private grant funding or historic
designation status to unlock funds to help facilitate culture and character preservation.

Create Healthy Neighborhoods
- Community Building
-

Expand the places and spaces for people in Downtown to
connect with one another and create stronger social bonds.
Building connections improves a community’s ability to respond
to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations.

DO
Strategy: Through purposeful interactions and design
approaches, connect neighbors socially and neighborhoods
physically to each other.
Actions:
▪
Work to create a sense of pride within individual
neighborhoods by establishing and/or promoting an
identifiable name. Branding neighborhoods can help to
create a unique identity and allow for variation of
desired character and uses.

▪
Identify residents or homeowner associations who are
active “champions” for the betterment of the
downtown area and connect them to each other to
increase the social capital of the area and increase
shared decision making.

▪
Assist resident champions in working together on small
projects such as blight remediation, facilitation of pop-
up block parties, or other such activities to foster
neighborhood relationships.
▪
Explore opportunities to enhance non-vehicular connectivity, by identifying local
or collector classified roadways as walkable, multi-modal transportation
corridors that can connect to Thunderbird Road and the larger planned
community trail system. One example could consist of enhancing 119th Ave and
El Frio St, from Cactus Road to Thunderbird Road.

Strategy: Create complete and healthy neighborhoods that provide complimentary
land uses and amenities within their borders to meet the lifestyle needs of its
residents.
Actions:
▪
Work with supporting agencies, like Chicanos Por La Causa, to advance
affordable housing initiatives and programs.

▪
In response to community survey results, rather than establish a regional
destination center that seeks to attract visitors from the greater region or a
niche place that seeks to offer residents with convenience retail stores, promote
downtown as a meeting place that is the center of community activities with a
mix of coffee shops, brew pubs, cultural and recreation spaces.

▪
Encourage development of vacant smaller parcels that front onto Thunderbird
Road by utilizing on-street parking efficiently and strategically to reduce off-
street parking needs.

▪
Long term, as vacant parcels along Thunderbird Road are developed, consider
opportunities to strategically locate public parking on the west side of El Mirage
Road adjacent to Bill Gentry Park and on the east side of El Mirage Road in
proximity to existing transit stops.

DON’T
Institute efforts that specifically focus on accommodating new populations that ignore
the needs of longstanding residents who have sustained the neighborhood over time.

Double
-Down on
Investment
&
Entrepreneurship
-Economic Opportunity & Growth
-

Bring more buzz to Downtown through promoting small-
business investment with emphasis on empowering local
entrepreneurs.

DO
Strategy: Continue to balance local small shop operations with
select formula-based regional and nationally recognized
businesses through a strategic business recruitment program
matching type of businesses with appropriate locations.

Actions:
▪
Look for the highest and best uses for vacancies and
infill opportunities that will support the vision for
Downtown.

▫ Work with land brokers and real estate agents
to ensure they are marketing smaller, vacant
parcels that are contiguous (particularly along
Thunderbird Rd), together as larger parcels to
expand their development potential.

▫ Be open to flexible, creative ways to activate
street-front retail and support smaller shop
formats by seeking out cutting edge, newer
types of formats (such as pop-up businesses in
empty storefronts, vendor kiosks,

merchandise/retail & restaurant mix type of concepts, several
businesses sharing same location, etc.)

▫ Continue to explore the dynamics of downtown's business clusters as
they evolve so that new business prospects can be guided to strategic
locations

▪
Establish priority recruitment targets and locations.

▫ Utilize the findings from the various market analyses, reports, and
surveys to create a list of potential business prospects to pursue. Assess
each business’s site location needs including space requirements,
median household income, and parking. Determine potential
Downtown locations for each business on the list.

▫ Assemble a business recruitment packet consisting of strategic market
data and promotional information. Develop marketing materials that
showcase the vision for Downtown El Mirage and its location, area
amenities, demographics, and potential commercial demand.

▫ Host a biannual broker round table meeting to discuss vacant
commercial space, upcoming opportunities, and other related issues or
concerns among the Downtown commercial building owners and
management companies.

▫ Achieve a strong, consistent presence on the Internet that globally
markets downtown El Mirage as a great location to establish a business.
The City of El Mirage’s website should communicate to potential
business prospects the desirability of locating future ventures in the
Downtown and provide abundant information to help prospects make
the decision to do so.

▫ Link economic development and business support organizations
websites to the City’s site.

▪
Reveal leads for new business prospects by networking inside and outside the
community.

▪
Leverage public facilities and their uses as a means to attracting residents to
Downtown.

Strategy: Implement a comprehensive business-strengthening
program focused on assisting businesses with sustaining their
existing ventures (retention) and supporting their efforts for
growing (expansion).
Actions:
▪
Maintain an accurate database of all Downtown
business and property owners.

▪
Conduct systematic business visitations to build a
stronger network among the Downtown business
community, help link businesses with resources and
technical assistance, and identify any issues or
concerns.

▪
Provide education and technical assistance to enhance
business-operating practices, such as connecting small
businesses with APS to provide energy efficiency
opportunities to reduce operating costs.

▪
Form a business group that represents the local
business community to assist with strengthening the
communication and relationships between the City and
the downtown businesses.

▪
Create and distribute a business and property owner
electronic ― ”Downtown News Flash”.

▪
Host a Downtown business and property owner brown
bag lunch to gather feedback from owners regarding
their current needs or issues concerning leasing,
improving, or selling their properties. Consider
periodically having a guest speaker to discuss such
topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, financing
available for rehabilitations, and fire and safety
regulations.

▪
Offer an annual “Tour of Downtown” to showcase new openings,
redevelopment projects, improvements under way at local properties and
buildings and opportunities for investment in Downtown.

▪
Implement formal groundbreaking and/or ribbon cuttings for new projects and
business openings.

▪
Create and distribute a press release to local, regional, and state agencies about
project and/or business, level of investment and responsible
organizations/individuals.

▪
Implement a formal recognition program to honor improvements being made
by business and property owners.

DON’T
Work everywhere at once in the downtown area. The overall focus area is fairly large,
where the facilitation of sporadic and varying improvement efforts could get lost. To
maximize the effectiveness of City efforts, actions should be grouped to create synergies
and initial physical improvements that can be easily seen from the location of another
should be prioritized.

Be Bold, Challenge Sameness
- Experiences & Public
Realm
-

Have bold and ambitious aspirations for what El Mirage’s
downtown can be. Celebrate the downtown as a place of great
distinction rather than “more of the same”.

DO
Strategy: Support innovation, experimentation and
nontraditional forms of land use and design.

Actions:
▪
Don’t be afraid of encouraging new types of activities,
businesses, and organization collaborations that can
foster a unique sense of place. Some of the most
enjoyable and memorable places are a direct result of
bold growth elements that combine to create a distinct
experience.

▫ Focus on building a one-of-a-kind public space
where neighbors and visitors can come
together. As new businesses open in proximity,
they may benefit from, and in turn, expand the
activity in the area, allowing for the creation of
a signature gathering spot.

▪
Development efforts often require a certain level of activity in an area to justify
the high investment. Tactical urbanism strategies outline low-risk, temporary
solutions to help bring more activity to an area and thus incrementally lead to
more long-term improvements. Consider pre-vitalization tactical urbanism
applications like a food truck corral or pop-up shops for artists in select areas.

▫ Working hand in hand with local artists and businesses, develop an “Art
in El Mirage” type of event or promotion that aligns artists with
businesses. The event could be held as a quarterly event and include all
forms of art including dancing, art demonstrations, arts in studio, art in
public places, etc. The event could include storytelling be a driving tour
with places to stop, scheduled performances during the month, school
art exhibits, walking event in downtown where art is exhibited in
businesses, etc. The objective of this type of event is to encourage
residents to come downtown and support local art, culture and
business.
DON’T
Overly restrict design. Upholding minimum design standards is important to promoting
a safe and high-quality environment. However, implementing extensive design
regulations can stifle creativity and remove opportunity for “successful” accidental
outcomes.

REVITALIZATION FRAMEWORK
This Framework Plan works to physically exhibit the transformative
actions detailed in this section that can be catalysts for investment
and revitalization of Downtown El Mirage.

Revitalization Concepts:
Welcome, Clean & Safe Must be the Baseline
- Perception & Safety
-
Tell the
Authentic Story
- History & Culture
-
Create Healthy Neighborhoods
- Community Building
-
Double
-Down on Investment & Entrepreneurship
-Economic Opportunity & Growth
-
Be Bold, Challenge Sameness
-Experiences & Public Realm
-

ID# Action
Revitalization Concept
1
Hold “Spruce Up Downtown” events to maintain
a welcoming, clean and safe environment

2
Explore ability to provide property improvement
grants for small businesses

3
Support high-quality amenity and infrastructure
improvements
4
Continue ongoing and consistent code
enforcement

5
Provide enhanced gateway signage that is
specific to the Downtown area/brand

6
Cluster permanent and temporary art
installations that celebrate El Mirage’s culture
and history

7
Brand neighborhoods within the study area to
create unique character areas within the
Downtown

8
Enhance non-vehicular connectivity by
identifying collector and local streets as
walkable, multi-modal corridors

9
Strategically locate off-street public parking on
Thunderbird Rd.

10
Provide education and technical assistance to
existing small businesses

11
Market smaller, vacant parcels that are
contiguous, together as larger parcels

Figure
37 : Revitalization Framework

DOW NTOWN EL MIRAGE
REVITALIZATION PLAN

FUNDING & RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES
Implementing the concepts, strategies and actions expressed in
this Plan will require focused, yet broad coordination and
cooperation. The City of El Mirage, as well as regional agencies,
local non-profits and the private sector must each play distinct
and complementary roles in implementing this Revitalization
Plan. The following pages provide an overview of various
funding and resource opportunities that may be utilized to
support and realize the expressed vision for downtown El
Mirage.
Grant Opportunities
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
–
Choice Neighborhoods
 https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_h
ousing/programs/ph/cn
 The Choice Neighborhoods program leverages
significant public and private dollars to support locally
driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods
with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through
a comprehensive approach to neighborhood
transformation.

US Department of Housing and Urban Development
–
HOPE VI Main Street Program
 https://www.hud.gov/mainstreet
 Provides assistance to smaller communities in the development of affordable
housing that is undertaken in connection with a Main Street revitalization effort.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Brownfields Grants
 azdeq.gov/brownfields
 Brownfield grants are awarded for properties in which redevelopment or reuse
may be complicated by the real or perceived presence of a hazardous
substance, pollutant or some contaminant.
Arizona Humanities Commission
 azhumanities.org/grants/grant-opportunities/
 Project grants up to $10,000 for program implementation and mini grants up to
$2,000 for innovative public programs.
Arizona Commission on the Arts
 azarts.gov/grants/
 Artist Opportunity Grant
 Creative Youth Grant
 Creative Capacity Grant
 Lifelong Arts Engagement Grant
 Festival Grant
 Youth Arts Engagement Grant
 Research and Development Grant
Arizona Community Foundation
 azfoundation.org/
 Awards grants year-round to support nonprofits, educational institutions, tribal
entities, government agencies, and most religious organizations.
Chicanos por la Causa
 https://www.cplc.org/econ/lending.php
 Provides small business loans and high-quality technical support services to
business owners in underserved communities.
Local Init
iatives Services Corp
 https://www.lisc.org/phoenix/what-we-do/resources/lending-grants/
 Offers a wide range of grants and loans for affordable housing developers, small
businesses and nonprofits.

Main Street America Funding
 https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/fundingop
portunities
 Main Street America offers several grant and funding
opportunities throughout the year with the support of
corporate partners.
APS Community Impact Grants
 aps.com/en/About/Community/In-the-
Community/Community-Impact-Grants
 Through an open, competitive cycle APS funds will
benefit & support eligible nonprofits through grants in
the areas of arts & culture, community development,
education, environment, and human services.
AARP Community Challenge Grants
 https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/community-
challenge/info-2023/2023-challenge.html
 Provides small grants ranging from $500 to $50,000 to
fund quick-action projects that can help communities
become more livable for people of all ages.

T - M obile
– Hometown Grants
 https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/hometown-grants
 Funds projects that foster local connections, like
technology upgrades, outdoor spaces, the arts, and
community centers. T-Mobile awards up to $50,000 for
shovel-ready projects.
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Tr
ust
 https://pipertrust.org/our-grants/
 Awards program and capital grants in six core areas:
Arts & Culture, Children, Education, Healthcare &
Medical Research, Older Adults, and Religious
Organizations

Resource
& Support Opportunities
Local First Arizona
- localfirstaz.com/
Arizona Economic Recovery Center - The Arizona Economic Recovery Center (AZERC)
aims to enable eligible Arizona cities, towns, counties, tribal communities, and
nonprofits to win and implement competitive federal, state, municipal, or foundation
grants. An initiative of Local First Arizona, the Arizona Economic Recovery Center
provides an ongoing, updated listing of grants. https://localfirstaz.com/azerc-grants/
Fuerza Local – Through Local First Arizona, Fuerza Local is an accelerator program for
Spanish-speaking business owners that assists in developing financial literacy and
business management skills. https://localfirstaz.com/fuerza-local
Food Entrepreneurship - Local First Arizona offers programs made to support new, food-
based business owners. https://www.goodfoodfinderaz.com/food-entrepreneurship
Urban Land Institute
– The mission of the Urban Land Institute is to shape the future
of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.
https://arizona.uli.org/uli-resources/adaptive-reuse-and-infill-workshop-presentations/
National Trust for Historic Preservation
 savingplaces.org/
Arizona State Historic Preservation Office
 azstateparks.com/additional-shpo-resources
Arizona Office of Tourism
 tourism.az.gov/
Grants.gov
 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html