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And ... the traffic For many locals, the question that looms over any development of this scale is traffic — and how their commute up and down State Route 347 would be affected. A review of the initial project narrative submitted and approved in 2022 showed the park anticipated seeing an average capacity of 840 people onsite, coming in 455 vehicles. However, this number could be lower now with fewer amenities ready in the first phase of construction. A new traffic study has not been completed. The narrative did not specify how many of these 455 vehicles were predicted to be driven by nonresidents traveling on SR 347. The Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2023 traffic report showed more than 52,000 vehicles travel the highway daily between Cobblestone Farms Drive and Riggs Road. PHX Surf’s estimate equates to an additional 0.8% of traffic on SR 347, assuming it’s just nonresidents traveling to and from the attraction. How much of an impact would that have on commuters? Cordova said it may be negligible, a welcome opinion for most in the city. “It depends on the number of people traveling, how big the facility is and how many people are traveling,” he said. “If visitors are getting there at different hours, then it shouldn’t have too much of an impact.” However, because the highway tends to back up badly daily during rush hours and crashes — there’s one major crash every other day on SR 347 on average, according to ADOT — Cordova admitted it’s important for city and state officials to “be more focused on transportation improvements” to prevent it from becoming an issue for the city’s aspiring tourism. But that’s a problem for later. Why worry now? It’s not the surfer way, dude. Cities should be looking for these kinds of amenities be- cause it makes the city more attractive to live in and has sig- nificant tax revenue benefits.” LUIS CORDOVA, ECONOMIST & VICE-PRESIDENT, ROUNDS CONSULTING
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Above: A floorplan and rendering show what the inside of a PHX Surf villa will look like. | Right: The latest landscape plan swaps two large rectangular pools for one shaped like sunglasses and a baker’s dozen more mini pools, plunge pools and spas.
LaGrassa said she was excited after visiting one of ICON’s buildings. “It’s very, very unique,” she said. “If you’ve ever been in like an adobe house, it kind of feels like that. It’s very natural and earthy and there literally are no straight walls, which we really liked about their design.” Copanomics The real test will come when the park welcomes its first visitors and begins collecting those sweet, sweet tourism dollars. Luis Cordova is an economist and vice president of Tempe-based Rounds Consulting. He said an attraction like PHX Surf has a lot of potential for cities like Maricopa. “Cities should be looking for these kinds of amenities because it makes the city more attractive to live in and has significant tax revenue benefits,” he said. “You’re importing dollars from outside the area and that has a ripple effect.” Whatever tourism dollars are spent in the city at PHX Surf translates to money that is re-spent throughout the community,” Cordova said. This generates tax revenue that “either lessens the burden on the community’s residents or creates additional tax revenues that they can use to expand other essential services.” Maintaining the park’s success and relevance over the years after it opens is crucial and Cordova said that means expanding other tourism options. “You want to attract hotels and other similar activities to the area so people don’t go for just one day,” he said. “There should be multiple things to do so they spend more time there, which means more money spent.”
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Maricopa isn’t the first place that will follow this blueprint. Landlocked Munich sits 180 miles from the Adriatic Sea and 420 miles from the shore of the North Sea in one of Europe’s most inland cities. It’s also now home to Surftown, Germany’s first surf park which opened in August. Surftown’s lagoon is nearly 600 feet long and the two bays allow for different skill levels to surf at the same time. If you’ve ever been in like an adobe house, it kind of feels like that. It’s very natural and earthy and there literally are no straight walls, which we really liked about their design.” ERIN LAGRASSA , PHX SURF CEO
PHX Surf said the German version is a smaller scale with far fewer amenities — just a restaurant and one gift shop are located onsite. Maricopa, duplicating the sunglass-shaped Surftown wave pool, will scatter smaller pools around the property, along with multiple dining and shopping venues. But occupying the most acreage are the rounded villas for overnight guests. Initial plans showed these to look like standard little rectangular casitas, but now better resemble a desert abode you might find on Tatooine or Jakku. In terms of futurism, that description matches its construction. Austin, Texas-based ICON Technologies designed and will construct the earthy villas using 3D printing. The company says this helps “lower the cost and increase the speed and quality of construction.”
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InMaricopa.com | November 2024
November 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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