SURPRISEAZ.GOV/PROGRESSMAG • SUMMER 2022 What Restaurants Residents Want Most plus splash New & Improved Parks! PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE: Making a General Plan Update is Underway2 surpriseaz.gov | Summer 2022 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers, Surprise City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza When: First and third Tuesday of the month•6 p.m. Work Sessions•4 p.m. Council does not meet in July due to summer break. Call: 623.222.1200•surpriseaz.gov/citycalendar PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers When: First and third Thursday of the month•6 p.m. Call: 623.222.3154•surpriseaz.gov/pz-commission P&Z COMMISSION MEMBERS VETERANS, DISABILITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers When: Second Wednesday of the month•6 p.m. Meeting playbacks are available with Closed Captioning surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv Call: 623.222.3243 •TTY: 623.222.1002 PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION 623.222.2240 ARTS & CULTURAL ADVISORY COMMISSION 623.222.3243 Surprise Progress is published by the City of Surprise Marketing & Communications Department. Read it online at surpriseaz.gov/progressmag. Comments? Call 623.222.1431 or email us at communications@surpriseaz.gov. Virginia Mungovan Nichole Wiley Amanda Steele Lorena Cano Muriel M. Sawicki PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS | PHOTOGRAPHERS MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SUMMER 2022 | Volume 22 | No. 3 DISTRICT 1 Roland F. Winters Jr. VICE MAYOR, DISTRICT 2 Aly Cline DISTRICT 3 Patrick Duffy DISTRICT 4 Ken Remley DISTRICT 5 Jack Hastings DISTRICT 6 Chris Judd MAYOR Skip Hall CITY MANAGER Bob Wingenroth - 623.222.1100 Matthew Keating Ken Chapman Mitchell Rosenbaum Dennis Bash CITY COUNCIL - 623.222.1300 Dennis W. Smith Jared Holland Kevin Sartor LIVE TELEVISED MEETINGS YOU CAN WATCH ON surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv/cityofsurprise Printed on paper with a portion of post-consumer waste. PRINTED WITH SOY INKS Summer 2022 | surpriseaz.gov 3 Want to know the average travel time down Bell Road or how much tourism tax the City brings in? This information and more will be available on the City’s surpriseaz.gov website in July! It’s part of a new City of Surprise Performance Dashboard that monitors the effectiveness of City programs and services to ensure we are aligned with the City Council Strategic Plan. Our goal is to be successful within the five Council priorities. What’s Included? • 60+ Metrics (Tied to the Five City Council Strategic Priorities) • 15 Departments Represented Data Highlights Here’s a look at some of the data you’ll find online: New Business Licenses Rec Program Participants Tourism Tax Revenues Police Calls for Service Bell Road Travel Times Fire-Medical Call Volume in February 2021 [Highest monthly total in 2021] in June 2021 [Highest month of participation in 2021] [Highest number of monthly calls in 2021] [Highest number of monthly calls in 2021] Hotel / Motel Tax & Transient Lodging Tax Revenue in 2021 average during peak time [Weekdays 3 – 5 p.m.] in December 2021 in August 2021 (Westbound Avenue of the Arts to Cotton Ln) Surprise launches an online PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD TRANSPORTATION STEWARDSHIP ECONOMIC & CULTURAL VITALITY COMMUNITY LIVABILITY & LIFE-LONG LEARNING SAFE & ENVIRONMENTALLY HEALTHY COMMUNITY Licenses 73 20,170 Participants $2.04 Million 7,279 Calls Minutes 18 1,986 Calls4 surpriseaz.gov | Summer 2022 D 3 D 6 D 1 Shoppers get ready! Here in Surprise, we are constantly working to meet the needs of our residents. As our city grows, it’s necessary to also expand access to goods and services. Fry’s Asante on the northwest corner of 163rd Ave. and Pat Tillman Blvd. is under construction now and expected to open in the third quarter of this year! In the same 19-acre neighborhood center, you can also expect a drive-thru pharmacy, fueling facility, physical therapy, nail and hair salons, dental and a variety of food options. For a look at other retailers and restaurants opening in Surprise, head to page 7. WINTERS JR.Cline ROLAND F.Aly surpriseaz.gov/district1 D 4 REMLEYHASTINGS KENJACK Coming to District 4… a multimillion-dollar in- vestment and County partnership that will help us serve our resi- dents even better. In the heart of our Original Town Site, we’ll have a new multi- generational community resource center. This state-of-the-art facil- ity will replace the aging buildings that currently house our Holly- hock Library, Senior Center and Resource Center. Centralizing these services and providing more space for services will bring excit- ing new opportunities to meet the needs of our community. For details and conceptual pictures of the project, check out page 8. Our desert shows us time and again just how beautiful nature is, even when facing our dry summer conditions. There may be no better showcase of this than our new Xeriscape Dem- onstration Garden located on the Surprise City Hall campus. Visitors can see a wide variety of arid landscapes, enjoy classes on responsible and sustainable water use, plus get professional advice from Master Gardeners, who have a new office just next door. There is something for everyone here, including art pieces created by some very talented local students. For more details, please read pages 10-11. D 2 D 5 the council district update vice mayor SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME surpriseaz.gov/district5 surpriseaz.gov/district2 surpriseaz.gov/district4 Water is such a precious resource and as we move into the summer months, we are reminded of that. It is important that we stay drought aware and do what we can to preserve this vital commodity. Ari- zona and the City of Surprise have recognized the need for drought planning and prepared- ness and are working to balance a healthy, sustainable quality of life for our residents. The City’s Water Conservation Program has rebate programs, tips for living a low- water-use lifestyle and many upcoming water-saving workshops. Find details at surpriseaz.gov/WaterConservation Summer 2022 | surpriseaz.gov 5 D 3 D 6 DUFFY judd PATRICK chris District 3 is becoming home to many new and exciting businesses that will soon be serving up some great food and meeting all of our shopping needs. Many of these businesses topped the list of most-desired retail- ers in our recent Surprise Retail Sur- vey, including Hobby Lobby, which is planned for Village at Prasada. This new shopping center near Waddell Road and the Loop 303 is now 100-percent leased, and I am excited to see what’s taking shape! You can find out more about this project and learn what other retailers and restaurants are coming to Surprise on pages 6-7. District 6 is experiencing what can only be described as booming growth and development! The Surprise Rail- plex – the two-square-mile area be- tween Litchfield and Dysart roads, south of Waddell Road and north of Peoria Avenue – has more than a dozen projects in active develop- ment. The industrial and business park lands will house cutting-edge facilities that will create prod- ucts and supply materials. This summer, we will be seeing sev- eral of these projects preparing for construction. I look forward to watching our Railplex grow with you. Things are heating up here in Surprise! t update SCAN ME SCAN ME surpriseaz.gov/district6 surpriseaz.gov/district3 I t’s no surprise that our City is growing rapidly. Welcoming new residents and businesses to Surprise is exciting, but it comes with great responsibility. The City has to plan for, and adjust to growth in smart ways to keep our community attractive and livable. It’s about mixing land uses, planning for transportation, creating a range of housing opportunities, preserving open space and more. An important tool in planning for growth is our City’s General Plan. This plan provides the vision and policies that determine how Surprise will grow and develop – and it is updated and approved by Surprise voters every ten years. This year, we are kicking off an update to our General Plan, and I hope you will participate in the process. We want your ideas and opinions to help shape the way your City will transform over the next decade. Check out page 14 for details on the update process and stay tuned for ways to participate as we head to the ballot for approval in 2024. While we are planning for our future, we are also looking at our needs right now. City Council just approved a new annual budget that is focused on funding additional staff to maintain our current level of service; operations for enhanced services; and renovation, design and construction of infrastructure projects. We’ll be looking to use some of that funding to bring new public transit to Surprise as well as a third City pool. The budget also provides our incredible police and fire-medical teams with more staffing and funding for a new police substation and fire station. I am confident that when we address the needs of today and plan for the growth of tomorrow, we will maintain our reputation as a beautiful and desirable city that is safe, clean and connected! surpriseaz.gov/ Mayor Contact your City Council: 623.222.1300 skip HALL mayor SCAN ME Scan the code with your smart phone and type your address. surpriseaz.gov/mysurpriseaddress D 2 D 5 D 4 D 6 D 1 D 3 NEW TO SURPRISE? Bonfire Craft Kitchen & Tap House Rio Mirage Café Vogue Bistro Saigon Kitchen State 48 Brewery Babbo Italian Eatery Big Buddha Restaurant Nick's Diner II The Toast Craft Kitchen & Cocktails Hurricane Grill & Wings Son Glow Boutique Spencer’s Place Arizona Quilts The Boyer Bakery Surprise Comics Gifts To Go Sher's Clothing Sweet Tea Musical Surprise Kimbur Pet Wash & Suites RESTAURANTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. RETAILERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The Cheesecake Factory El Pollo Loco Cracker Barrel Portillo’s P.F. Chang’s BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse Postino Pita Jungle Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Yard House Hobby Lobby HomeGoods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls Whole Foods Market JOANN Fabric & Crafts Old Navy Dick's Sporting Goods IKEA Total Wine & More Nordstrom Rack AJ's Fine Foods TOP 10 Local Favorites TOP 10 Desired RESTAURANTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. RETAILERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The annual Surprise Retail Survey launched on March 21 and more than 5,700 responses later, we have the results! Just after the survey closed and showed Surprise residents’ top ask was a Hobby Lobby, Village at Prasada announced the crafting giant is moving into the 700,000-square-foot- plus development near Loop 303 and Waddell Rd! The retail development will also be home to several of the major retailers requested on the Retail Survey, including Sprouts Farmers Market, T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Total Wine & More. Most desired dining experiences residents would like to see in Surprise: • Local eatery/brewery • Unique foodie eats • Fine dining Here’s a look at the survey results: Results Reveal Residents’ Requests 6 surpriseaz.gov | Summer 2022 While their most-desired restaurants were a little different than the adults, their #1 most-requested was also Cheesecake Factory! Retail requests included Tilly’s, GameStop, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Old Navy and more. Five Below and TJ Maxx were in their Top 10, both of which are slated for Village at Prasada! The City uses the survey data to identify retail strengths, as well as opportunities to bring additional amenities closer to home. In the past, the survey has helped bring in establishments like Costco, Bath & Body Works, Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, Texas Roadhouse and In-N-Out Burger! To see the full results from the youth and adult surveys, head to surpriseaz.gov/RetailSurvey For entertainment, they asked for: • Go Karts • Paintball • Mini Golf/ Arcade Summer 2022 | surpriseaz.gov 7 Developer SimonCRE announced in May that Village at Prasada is 100% leased. Notable retailers not mentioned in the Retail Survey include Burlington Coat Factory and Ulta. Some of the newest upscale-dining restaurants announced for the center include Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, which serves fire-grilled steaks and seafood, and Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, which features contemporary cuisine, a Napa Valley-style tasting room and retail market. Craving healthy fare on the go? Salad and Go is planning two new Surprise locations: one at the corner of Eastham Pkwy. and Bell Rd. near Winco, and the other at the southeast corner of Reems and Cactus roads! THE BUZZ ABOUT TOWN: COFFEE SPOTS Surprise has some incredible coffee and tea options, and those choices are expanding! Here are some shops to keep an eye out for: Coffee Brewed Differently is now open at 15240 N. Cotton Ln. Gravity Coffee is in development at the northeast corner of the Loop 303 and Greenway Rd. Two new Dutch Bros Coffee locations are coming to Surprise! Expect to see them at 16986 W. Waddell Rd. and at the southwest corner of Litchfield Rd. and Soledad St. NEW & Honor Health Complete Care at 16577 W. Waddell Rd. is now open! The emergency room and urgent care facility provides 24-hour service, seven days a week! It has full X-ray and CT scan capabilities, including a trauma room and exam suites. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill8 surpriseaz.gov | Summer 2022 SERVING SURPRISE: NEW COMMUNITY CENTER & EXPANDED RESOURCES COMING SOON! Learn more at surpriseaz.gov/MCRC All images are conceptual only The City of Surprise is partnering with Maricopa County to make a major investment into the vitality and well-being of the West Valley with plans to build a new multigenerational community resource center. This project will create an estimated 38-thousand square-foot center on City-owned land in Surprise’s historic Original Town Site. The new campus will improve resources for families, seniors, youth and vulnerable populations by centralizing and expanding programs and services from several aging City buildings, including the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library and Surprise Senior Center. Currently, Surprise is turning away programs and partners due to a lack of space. This project will instead allow for the expansion of programs for health, wellness, workforce development, housing, homelessness benefit assistance, Veteran services, senior services, library service and early childhood education such as story time, after school programs and summer youth programs. The new center will serve Surprise, the Sun Cities, El Mirage, Youngtown and unincorporated Maricopa County. The campus will be at the corner of Hollyhock St. and Santa Fe Dr. It is the perfect complement to the investment and growth already existing in the area, which includes a youth ballfield, recreation center and City pool, along with the Housing Authority of Maricopa County’s permanent supportive family housing development and planned affordable senior housing development. The new campus is expected to be complete by 2025.ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY A VBC INCLUDES: NEED The Surprise Resource Center is a one-stop-shop for veteran, disability and social services. Through strategic partnerships with a growing number of community- based organizations and government agencies, the Center offers Surprise residents connections to services that include everything from rent and utility assistance to employment support to food and nutrition resources. Learn more at surpriseaz.gov/ResourceCenter UTILITY, EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE? at the West Valley Veteran Success Center FOOD OR SURPRISE RESOURCE CENTER CAN HELP! The West Valley Veteran Success Center is helping Veterans increase their access to resources through a new dedicated Veteran Benefits Counselor (VBC). A VBC is a state employee provided by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and is dually accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion. This provides them more direct access and helps them to better advocate for Arizona’s service members, veterans and their families in pursuit of their federal and state benefits. The new VBC is now available two days a week and Veterans can book an appointment, virtually or by phone; currently walk-in clients cannot be served. Appointments can be made through the VBC call center at 602.535.1215. During these appointments, the VBC can work directly with Veterans Affairs to develop and file applications for benefits and claims. The West Valley Veteran Success Center is a multi-organization partnership dedicated to supporting service members, veterans and their families. Learn more at surpriseaz.gov/veterans >Education on eligibility requirements for benefits >Processing VA compensation and pension applications >Appealing VA decisions >Representing claimants at VA hearings >Filing for survivor’s benefits >Applying for discharge upgrades >Referring claimants to other agencies for potential benefits >Requesting military service records and certifying DD-214s (discharge paperwork) >Discussing state veteran benefits Summer 2022 | surpriseaz.gov 9Next >