Some developers and commercial real estate executives could get free travel and Super Bowl tickets, courtesy of Phoenix taxpayers.
Christine Mackay, the city’s economic development director, wants the City Council to approve $75,000 for up to 16 industry leaders and their guests to spend several days touring Phoenix. They would visit key buildings and potential development sites, meet city leaders, attend downtown events related to the Super Bowl, and receive tickets to the big game.
“It might be a site selector who is running with three or four large prospects that Phoenix has made a short list for. It might be an executive from a business that’s considering a new expansion somewhere in the United States,” she said.
Phoenix held a similar event during Super Bowl week in 2016.
“It was the first tour where the developer that ultimately secured Park Central to build out Park Central, it was the first time that we met them and were able to showcase Phoenix and what was happening in Phoenix to them,” Mackay told a city subcommittee.
Park Central is a former mall near Central Avenue and Osborn that now features office, restaurants, retail and Creighton University.
Mackay also said the city hosted a site selector working for Farmers Insurance, which later opened a customer support center in north Phoenix.
The city's economic development subcommittee voted to recommend the full council approve the request at a future meeting.
