Wednesday night, the Scottsdale City Council approved the Southbridge II project by a vote of 4-3.
It’s a mixed-use development that would combine retail space, residential condos and a hotel into 10 acres along the Arizona Canal in Old Town Scottsdale.
Carter Unger, president of Spring Creek Development, spoke to the chamber about the return on the $750 million project.
“What I’m really am excited about is the estimate for during construction. It’s over a billion dollars of economic output. And then once the project is complete, we’re looking at $290 million of ongoing annual economic impact and economic output,” he said.
Not everyone is happy about it, however. Many Scottsdale residents were in attendance to voice their opposition to the project because it would also include two towers exceeding 125 feet.
Scottsdale’s Patty Badenoch is concerned about the impact on her community.
“This project defies one of the six guiding principles, which states to value Scottsdale’s unique lifestyle and character. The preservation of our unique lifestyle and character is systematically being destroyed,” she said.
To discuss the Southbridge II project and the impact of this vote, The Show reached out to Wayne Schutsky, managing editor of the Scottsdale Progress.
