A bill is moving its way through the Arizona State Legislature that would substantially help build a proposed massive mixed-use project on the north side of Scottsdale.
The project, which has run into no small amount of obstacles, centers on the building of a new headquarters for the Taser manufacturer Axon Enterprise Incorporated. As envisioned, the project includes up to 1,900 apartment and condominium units, as well as both hotel and retail space.
The $85 million Axon proposal, which includes the building of a 400,000-square-foot corporate headquarters, has sparked opposition from community leaders and residents who say that the project, which would go up at Hayden Road and Loop 101, is too large for the area and would impact Scottsdale’s quality of life.
A groundbreaking for the project set for early 2024 was suddenly cancelled due to a petition effort that secured enough signatures to put the question on a public ballot. In response to that movement, Axon chief executive officer Rick Smith warned that the company was seriously contemplating having the project built in another city.
Smith remarked that “uncertainty caused by this referendum forces us to confront a tougher reality: we can’t allow political games to put our mission or our team at risk.”
Now a bill has been introduced by Republican Representative Tony Rivero that would make it possible for cities with populations of between 200,000 and 500,000 to allow for mixed-use projects to go up without needing an official application in any area zoned for light industrial use.
Scottsdale’s current population is just under 250,000.
The legislation would also negate a requirement calling for public hearings for such projects in such areas.
At the same time, the bill would allow for residential construction to take place on what is regarded as the campus of an international headquarters with a certain number of workers who will be making upwards of 125% of the local median wage.
The measure has now won the unanimous approval of the House International Trade Committee and may be reconciled with similar legislation working its way through the Arizona Senate.
Despite the controversy, a survey just released by the market research firm Cygnal shows that 75% of respondents were in favor of the Axon project.
April 4, 2025
By Garry Boulard
