I don't like the amount of apartments going in. Think there should be more single family homes with larger plots of property so people can do stuff. I think they're okay. They all seem nicely situated and neat. I just don't even see how they're all going to be filled up. The thing that's just going to be filled up is the roads and the traffic. I really have been appreciating how many of the newer apartments and condos around town are painted in a brighter color. I like that Goodyear is incorporating that color because I feel like it shows a sense of our vibrancy as a growing city.
And welcome into the Growing Goodyear podcast from the city of Goodyear, I'm Jordan Byrd.
And I'm Tammy Vo.
And Tammy this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast is going to be all about apartments, which I know is something on a lot of people's minds. And it's not just specific to Goodyear or the West Valley or even Arizona. This really is something that is taking place nationwide, where communities all across America are starting to see influxes of multi family housing and apartments. And I think a lot of residents are wondering, why, why is this happening now? Why is this happening in my community? It certainly is a trend.
You know, if you think back to what the housing market has been like over the years. And I'm talking in terms of purchasing a home, right? It has gotten increasingly difficult for people to afford the purchase of a home these days. I mean, I remember back to my first home I bought. Oh my gosh. It's hard to believe it was $190,000
I thought you were going to say 190 years.
It feels like it, with the way the pricing is going. But I mean, it was a steal in a great part of town, and you just cannot buy homes anymore at that rate. So yeah, I think that the rate of growth for apartments, or we often say at the city here, multi family housing, has certainly skyrocketed, certainly in the last few years.
Well, and whether you live in an apartment or not, there's a lot of factors associated with apartments that still may have an impact on your life, whether it's new businesses or new restaurants coming to town. Those are impacted by the population that multifamily and apartments bring. So that really is the intent of this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast, is to just provide information about that process, what it's like in Goodyear, and maybe provide some clarity on what that actually looks like. We know our residents here in Goodyear, though, are passionate about a lot of different things, and so we were curious about what their thoughts are on apartments coming to the city of Goodyear. So earlier, I went out to the Goodyear recreation campus and I asked residents, what are their thoughts about apartments in Goodyear?
When I say apartments, what do you think of more people? So is that a good thing or a bad thing for you? Probably bad in terms of traffic. I mean, good for the community to grow, but I know it's right near my house, so, I mean, I know it's going to be more traffic. I think the city is doing a great job in a lot of areas, bringing restaurants and different things, but I just don't even see how they're all going to be filled up. The thing that's just going to be filled up is the roads and the traffic, and it just seems like there's an excessive amount going in. I think they're okay. They all seem nicely situated and neat. So, yeah, I started out in an apartment, so one just popped up by my son's school, and so far, no increased traffic, no issues. I don't like the amount of apartments going in. Think it should be more single family homes with larger plots of property so people can do stuff and have kids outside in their own yard. I think of overcrowding, especially when it comes to schools. I was in school district, and as soon as an apartment complex went up. Our class sizes just boomed, and so it has a bigger impact than just having housing in that area. So I know we need some apartments, but it seems like we might be going a little far. We're getting a little overrun with the quantity of new apartments. I think they're beautiful. They've done a good job with development of them, but it seems like when they're all filled, it's going to create traffic flow and people issues. I've seen an awful lot of them going up recently, loads and loads of apartments, and I was talking to somebody yesterday who said he's planning on moving to Indiana because he doesn't think they're going to have enough water. And whether or not we do or not, I have no idea, but that was his concern. I really have been appreciating how many of the newer apartments and condos around town are painted in a brighter color. And when I'm driving around with my children, I have four young children, and they're like, look, it's a beautiful it's like, purple, or there's some that have, like, orange. And I really love that. I know other parts of the Phoenix Valley tend to stay in the you know, browns, family browns, neutrals. Yeah, I used to be like, is that this shade of beers? Shade of beige, you know? But I like that good years, incorporating that color, because I feel like it shows a sense of our vibrancy as a growing city.
So you hear from some of the residents here in Goodyear, there's a variety of opinions and thoughts on multi-family and apartments here in Goodyear and Tammy, I think that's kind of natural, right where, depending on who you ask and what their background or what their history may be, you're gonna get varying answers on really any topic, but especially when it comes to something like this with multi family housing.
And our residents, especially here in Goodyear, I feel like really take pride in their city, which we appreciate so much. What so when we're on, you know, social media, and we hear from our residents voicing either concerns about various topics, and even when it comes to, you know, apartments or multi family, we value those and we wanted to hear some of those concerns. And we really wanted to find out some of the more common concerns about multi family are true or false.
There are more apartments being built in Goodyear than single family homes. False. As of earlier this year, 84% of all residential living in Goodyear is single family homes.
Apartment complexes bring down the value of neighboring homes. False. According to studies by the US Census Bureau and the University of Utah, well placed market rate apartments with attractive design and landscaping actually increase the overall value of single family homes nearby.
Multi
Multi family complexes attract other desired restaurants and businesses. True multi family complexes often make an area more attractive to retail and restaurants. Companies have a specific criteria to be met when looking at potential sites for their business, including population, available workforce and daytime density, all of which is helped with multi family developments.
Traffic demands are taken into consideration when apartments are being developed. True, the city requires all development projects to perform traffic studies to evaluate the potential traffic impacts of their project. These studies provide recommendations which are typically incorporated into the development The city also monitors traffic patterns and volumes as well as future growth, to identify projects to improve traffic flow.
There is more crime in multi family and apartment complexes in Goodyear. False, according to the Goodyear police department, police activity in apartment communities is no higher than in single family subdivisions, an apartment community's higher density and larger number of units may give it the perception that crime is higher, but it is not.
So it's no surprise when you drive around the city of Goodyear right now that you see this influx of multi family housing and apartments taking place in our city. So we wanted to go to one of the developers of one of those projects, Alta Goodyear, right on the corner of Encanto and 150th drive just north of GSQ. And we talked to Todd Taylor, the managing director of Wood Partners, to get a developer's perspective on multi family housing. Todd, thank you so much for taking some time and joining us today on the Growing Goodyear podcast.
Happy to be here.
So first of all, for those people out there, what is a property in Goodyear that Wood Partners has helped develop or is currently developing right now in Goodyear?
So we have one project right now called Alta Goodyear that is approximate to all the retail and great stuff that's happening out there. We conceive this deal approximately two years ago and work through the pre development phase, and we should be opening that project here in the next 60 days. We're really excited about it.
I think one of the biggest questions people have when it comes to apartments or multi family complexes is, how do they come to be I mean, so for you guys with Alta Goodyear, right on the fringe of GSQ, which is going to be the new vibrant downtown for the city of Goodyear, how does that get decided that you guys are going to build multifamily apartments on that specific part of land?
That's a great question and a complicated question. The genesis of the project was my relationship with Mike Olson and the Globe Corporation, who has been very large land holders in Goodyear, going back, I think, a number of decades, Mike came to me and said, you know, there may be an opportunity here for you guys to put in an apartment project next to our GSQ development. We are very interested in that prospect, and became more interested as we learn more about what they were doing out there, you know, as it related to some of the office and then obviously all the retail and then the theater and just the incredible demographics. So through coordination with Mike and the Globe Corporation, we were able to get the project agreed upon or on the doorstep of opening. And couldn't be more excited about it.
You mentioned the term demographics. So for this project, Alta Goodyear, which is right next to GSQ, what we're kind of the demographics that caught your attention and thought, yes, this would be a good project for Wood Partners to be involved in?
All the dynamism that's happening on the west side in general. I think historically, the west side has been a little bit behind more of the East Side, Scottsdale, Gilbert, but I think that gap is quickly closing, and I think you've seen that over the past. Call it 36 months, with regard to all the development, whether that be office, industrial, multi housing, there are a lot of reasons to be big believers in what's happening on the west side of town, in addition to Goodyear, specifically when you talk about in migration. When you talk about job growth, you talk about salaries and incomes for people like me, Goodyear checked all the boxes for us.
So it kind of sounds and correct me if I'm wrong, that it's not just hey, on a wild hair, let's build an apartment complex here. There's a lot of thought and planning and projection even that goes into that.
You're absolutely right. I mean, it's sort of my job, my responsibility, to pay attention to these sorts of trends. Candidly, I would tell you that 10 years ago, I don't know that we're doing a deal in Goodyear, and I don't think you know we could attract a capital partner or lender to do a deal in Goodyear. But given everything that has happened in that 10 year period, I think not only in Phoenix, but in bigger money center markets like New York and Chicago, people where we partner with and do projects, it's definitely become far more sort of noticed and acknowledge that the west side of Phoenix is really where things are going today and out into the next five to seven years. I think, for a variety of reasons, you have a lot of people moving from coastal markets, specifically markets in California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, up to Seattle, where people are leaving those markets, and Phoenix is at the top of the list, where they're going, and in many cases, they're going out to the west side. So we like all the trends. We like all the demographics out there. You know, we think there's more to come frankly.
You kind of already touched on some of this a little bit, but it seems like apartments, multi family housing has really become in the news the last few years, five years or so from your time in this field, in this industry, how has apartments and multifamily that market, how has it changed over maybe the last five or 10 years, to where we sit today?
I moved out here from Los Angeles. I'm sort of a Los Angeles refugee myself in 2005 so sort of considered myself a native. I've adopted all the sports teams and everything else but good man, yeah. So, you know, I would say in 2005 ,I think the projects were certainly more simple and more straightforward. I think most of my contemporaries and us, we're building more kind of garden apartment walk ups, not particularly sophisticated projects, I would say, in 20 years, the bar, if you will, as to what the resident is looking for and almost expecting at this point has gone up considerably, and that involves common space, indoor outdoor amenities, pool, fitness, a certain level of service, it is essentially transformed to where now in 2024 if you're not offering that, you're at a competitive disadvantage. So I think specifically, as it relates to Alta Goodyear, we are going to have a giant two story clubhouse with pool table seating, coffee, and we think it's going to resonate with prospects when they come in, and obviously with the residents once they move in. And I would say there is a certain standard expected across the marketplace. I do think that also Goodyear will far exceed that standard.
Now, one of the things that we have heard from our residents in Goodyear, a small handful, and it's not specific to Goodyear. I think it's Valley wide and also nationwide. There is a little bit of pushback from other residents to these type of developments, apartments, multifamily. There's that not in my backyard mentality for some of these people. Why do you think that there is some of that pushback from people?
I can tell you, it's certainly not just in Goodyear. It's in every sub market that we're doing business in, here, in Phoenix and beyond, but Jordan, I think that there's a misperception about apartments and about apartment renters and maybe some of the problems that they think or believe that are just, frankly, not reality in many cases. And our project in Goodyear, we believe will be the same, but the average household income in our project, in our apartment, will be higher than the average household income across the metro. It is a elevated luxury, sort of lifestyle that we're promoting and offering to our residents. And I just think the direct answer to your question is, I think it's legacy, sort of beliefs that you know you're seeing some dilapidated housing and that sort of carries with you, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
With where Alta Goodyear is so close to GSQ, from an economic development standpoint, I know that is one of the things that helps drive new businesses, having population density and having that daytime population that attracts businesses and restaurants. So how does an apartment complex like Alta Goodyear play a factor in bringing businesses, maybe to that surrounding GSQ area?
I think it's integral. It's an overused word, but there are definitely synergies between multi housing retail, that it's absolutely real and so what we're bringing consumers, people who want to go, spend money, have a good dinner, drink some wine, buy clothes, and they're providing that within walking distance. And maybe they also, you know, happen to work at the city of Goodyear and can walk to that project. So it all sort of feeds upon itself, which, again, is why we're so excited to be able to offer our residents not only an amazing lifestyle at our property, but a super convenient, elevated lifestyle within walking distance.
Todd, thank you so much for taking the time today and shedding a little bit of insight into this topic. We really appreciate you joining us here on the Growing Goodyear podcast.
Thanks, Jordan, great being with you today.
So there you hear the developer side of multifamily housing and apartments, why they come here, why some are built in certain parts, and just how they play a role in a city like Goodyear's growth. But let's talk to a resident from a Goodyear apartment Joining us now is Candi Hernandez, A apartment renter here in Goodyear, and her experience on why she moved to Goodyear and why she chose to live in an apartment. Candi, thank you so much for joining us on the Growing Goodyear podcast.
Thank you for inviting me. I'm happy to be here.
So I just kind of curious. We wanted to talk to an apartment renter about kind of their story, their background. So let's just start broadly. What attracted you to an apartment in Goodyear?
I think just the location, I think just moving closer to work was the main thing that made me, you know, move closer. I was living in Glendale, and it was quite of a commute, even though it's not as far of a distance, but I think just traffic and kind of made it harder for me to get here on time and things like that.
So let's say, when you lived in Glendale, how long did it take you to get to work compared to now that you live in Goodyear, how long does it take you to get to work?
It would take me about 30 to 45 minutes. That's if it was a good day with, you know, heavy traffic, which those aren't always a given. Yeah, but I mean, now it takes me literally less than five minutes to get to work.
So that obviously has to have an impact on your life, where you're not spending 30-40 minutes in the car, and that's just one way you know, going to work, coming back home now you have a lot more time. What is it about the specific apartment in Goodyear that you chose that attracted you to that complex?
The activities they have within the apartment. I thought that was pretty cool the apartments previously that I lived with my boyfriend in Glendale, it was a smaller apartment complex. This one is newer and, you know, more amenities and everything is what convinced us. They have, like, a huge game room, they have a gym, they have a dog park, and just being closer to, like, literally all the restaurants, the Rec Center, which is something that I go to almost every day, I mean, in general, just a park. So I think that's kind of what convinced us. We did a lot of research, and what apartments, you know, to move to, and I think they're the ones that gave us the best deal well.
And I think that's one of the things that people who may not have been looking for an apartment or lived in an apartment recently, they may not understand how apartments have changed, because I know when I first moved into an apartment, you know, 20-25 years ago, it was a stereotypical, crummy little apartment, and nowadays, with the amenities And the clubhouses, it really it almost seems like a sense of community at a lot of these complexes as well, with just the type of things that they offer their residents.
Yes, I agree with you. So at our previous apartments, we didn't even know our neighbors. We wouldn't even talk to our neighbors. We kind of would get a glance of them sometimes say hi, but for the most part, everybody just did their own thing. And here, I feel like everybody is more welcoming. Everybody talks to each other. A lot of people even use the amenities that are there. At our previous apartment, it was kind of like everything was empty. We didn't really see any people around. So I think that's one of the things that kind of grasped our attention to these apartments. And just in general, I feel like the community there is really nice.
Now, a little bit ago, you mentioned something about restaurants and businesses and retails, and that is now starting to really take root here in Goodyear, specifically around GSQ, which you are not too far away from, GSQ, where you live. How big of a deal is that to have these type of restaurants and these types of businesses where we talked about drive time for work, but now that same thing for just recreation or a dinner out?
that's
That's one of the bigger things, I think, that I've noticed maybe within the last recent months, we would literally just say, Okay, let's go eat this or that. And we would kind of just get discouraged by the drive to downtown. Like all our favorite spots are downtown on the west side of town, and I think all these new restaurants just made it easier for us to, you know, grab something super quick coming to The Stillery, I think that has been one of my favorite restaurants. The vibe in general, and the food is really good too.
I have to imagine that it's such a huge benefit to be 5-10 minutes away from a place like GSQ, where if you want to go see a movie, or if you want to have a cocktail before you go see that movie or after it's all now within this space that is so close to where you actually live.
I mean, yes, because before I would even get invited with my family, okay, let's go have brunch. Let's go do this. Let's go do that. Okay, closest, probably restaurant for brunch is going to be West Gate. We were tired of Westgate. Next option was downtown. Downtown is way too far, and then Scottsdale. So now we can go here to GSQ and just, you know, have our little brunch, have our dinner, whatever we want.
Candi, thank you so much for taking a quick minute and just sharing your experience of being an apartment renter here in Goodyear. I guess I should say, Welcome to Goodyear, since you're still fairly new here. And just thank you so much for joining us on the Growing Goodyear podcast.
Yes, thank you for inviting me.
Well, Tammy, this has been a very informational episode from a lot of different sources, which I think is important when you talk about something like this, to get the current residents opinion on apartments multi family, to hear from developers and to hear from residents who live in these type of complexes on how they feel a need and a role for their life in particular.
And surely, Goodyear is going through such a really interesting transitional period. Jordan, the title of this podcast, is Growing Goodyear. And that's what we're all about in Goodyear these days, is we're growing tremendously. So you know, if you're someone who's lived in Goodyear for a long time, and you know back in the day, maybe there weren't a lot of apartments around, this certainly looks foreign to you. But if you're one of the 1000s of people who are moving to our city every year, this may not look so uncommon to you to see the kinds of housing diversity that we're seeing in Goodyear right now. So it certainly is a unique time to be in Goodyear, a special moment as our city grows, and definitely a topic of interest that I'm really glad we talked about today.
And if you also have any other further questions or want any additional information about this, there is the 2035 general plan, which was just passed by voters this past spring. And it really provides a blueprint. It's a road map of what the city is planning to do, not only just with apartments and multi housing, but the entire development of the city of Goodyear. And it really could be a very great resource for people that have questions or have concerns to reference the general plan.
And thanks to the thoughtful leadership of our mayor and council, when they go to our council meetings each week, they put a lot of thought and consideration when we talk about zoning for different purposes. Zoning land for different purposes in the city, whatever it may be, whether it be for, you know, commercial, industrial, anything else, or for this conversations purposes, multi family, there is a lot of thought that goes into it. Decisions are not just made out of nowhere, and they certainly do look to things like the voter approved and passed general plan for guidance.
And if you would like to check out that general plan, you can go to good year, a z.gov/generalplan. Well, that's gonna do it for this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast. Tammy, thanks again, as always, for joining me, and we can't wait to bring you the next episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast. So until then, remember, it's always a great time to be in Goodyear.
That concludes this episode of Growing Goodyear. Make sure to leave us a review and subscribe on your favorite streaming or podcast player app. If you have any questions or comments, email us at communications at Goodyear az.gov and don't forget to follow us on the city of Goodyear's social media pages.
