More than 100 Laveen area residents packed into a meeting to voice their concerns about plans to develop an auto mall, hospital, apartments and resort on nearly 300 acres of vacant land near South Mountain. They worry the intensity of the development could ruin the surrounding, largely rural area.
The Gila Foothills proposal to the city of Phoenix is planned for a large site near Estrella Drive and 51st Avenue, about two miles northwest of the Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino.
The site is within Phoenix’s boundaries but borders unincorporated Maricopa County land on portions of the site. The site sits west of South Mountain Park, east and north of Loop 202 and east and north of the Gila River Indian Community.
The land is owned by the Lines family, a longtime landowner in the area. The Lines family is also the developer of another large Laveen commercial development, called Laveen Spectrum, on 59th Avenue and Baseline Road. That development, which has portions under construction, includes restaurants, stores and has plans for residential development.