The next step is soon to be taken in Scottsdale in an effort to transform a massive 32- acre site that was once the home to a popular amusement park.
In the summer of 2022, George Kurtz, chief executive officer of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, announced plans to repurpose the site into an imaginative mixed-used development that would include housing, retail and restaurant space, and a hotel, among other features.
Located at 16001 N. Scottsdale Road, the CrackerJax Family Fun & Sports Park was opened in late 1993 and for years entertained generations of visitors offering everything from golf and bumper boats to batting cages and sand volleyball.
The amusement park, after enduring a decline in business partly due to the Covid 19 pandemic, closed for good in July of 2022.
Kurtz’s plans for the site, after purchasing it for a reported $55 million, have proven big and varied. According to city documents, what is being called The Parque, will see a total of nearly 150 condominium units and 897 apartments units, along with almost 98 workforce housing units.
Kurtz earlier told the Arizona Republic that his goal has been to build a development that “could sustain a transformational mixed-use campus.”
Added Kurtz: “To me, this is a legacy project, one that will define the future of a community I love.”
Besides the various housing options, The Parque will also include 100,000 square feet of office space: 25,000 square feet of retail, and just under 35,000 square feet of restaurant space.
An additional feature of the project will see the capture of stormwater at the site to be used for the City’s sanitary sewer system.
The redevelopment project is expected to cost around $1 billion to complete.
Two months ago, the Scottsdale Planning Commission gave the project its unanimous approval. Members of the Scottsdale City Council are now reviewing the development plans for the project.
By Garry Boulard
