Ak-Chin Industrial Park Certified as Arizona Gold Shovel-Ready Site

Santa Cruz Commerce Center (SCCC), the Ak-Chin Indian Community’s industrial park, was recently verified as an Arizona Gold Certified Site by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). As the state’s economic development organization, it is ACA’s mission to advance Arizona’s economy through the recruitment of quality companies and jobs as well as the expansion of companies already doing business in the state.

The ACA began its site certification program to help companies quickly identify shovel-ready sites in rural Arizona. Land and buildings that bear the Arizona Gold Certification meet the state’s highest criteria for completing all the proper pre-development work, satisfying all permitting requirements, having utilities and other services available at the site, and being best poised to host new employment-users immediately.

A certified site designation helps national site selection consultants, corporate real estate professionals and companies seeking to relocate or expand quickly identify locations that can speed their projects to market. Commercial sites in metropolitan areas are already categorized and widely promoted; certifying comparable sites in rural Arizona through the ACA program enables rural communities to more readily compete for quality employers.

The Ak-Chin Industrial Park Board, which is responsible for the marketing, development, and management of Santa Cruz Commerce Center and the Community’s other industrial properties, was very pleased by the recognition. “All the groundwork we’ve laid is being formally acknowledged by this designation,” said Board Chairman Charles Carlyle. “No doubt it will help verify that we’re shovel-ready for new projects.”

Currently SCCC has approximately 45 acres of leasable land for owner-built or build-to-suit projects. Current tenants include egg producer, Hickman’s Family Farms and a farm equipment dealership, M&S Equipment. Target industries are food processing, agri-business supply chain, or plant-science research or manufacturing. For leasing information, call 520-568-3246.