Phoenix Relocation Guide

the community was constructed, most of the area was of farmland mainly growing cotton. Sun City West was constructed by Del Webb starting in the late-1970s as Sun City had outgrown its boundaries. Sun City West was completely built out in 1998 and a sister city, Sun City Grand, to the west of Grand Avenue was started. Sun City has now grown to more than 46,000 resi- dents. The community offers everything for the active adult 55 and older, from more than 100 chartered clubs and seven golf courses to state-of-the-art bowling and countless activities. To ensure its resi- dents that the communities maintain their positions as haven for retirees, no one under 18 years of age are allowed to live in the Sun Cities for more than 90 days. Surprise City of Surprise: 623-222-1000 www.surpriseaz.com Surprise Regional Chamber 623-583-0692 surpriseregionalchamber.com Founded in 1929, Surprise has transformed itself from the sleepy little farming commu- nity it was into a growing city that has drawn the notice of Money magazine, which placed Surprise at the top of its national job growth list. One reason for this growth is Sun City Grand, a Del Webb active adult community that has called for about 10,000 homes. A full slate of recreational facilities, including four golf courses, a fitness center, a day spa and the Rio Salado Community College Sun Cities Livelong Learning Center is also available to Sun City Grande residents. Surprise has also experienced growth in the business, retail and service sectors, and has annexed land north of the White Tank Mountains that link with up the city of Buckeye. It is also located within Surprise. Economic growth has also developed in the Surprise Medical Center, which includes a

medical campus, emergency medical facil- ities and medical office buildings. Surprise Point is a 290-acre complex of restaurants, shops, industrial warehouses and office space that has been developed recently and has brought an estimated 6,000 additional jobs to the area.

SOUTHEAST VALLEY

Chandler City of Chandler: 480-782-2220

Photo courtesy of Vistancia

www.chandleraz.gov Chandler Chamber of Commerce 480-963-4571 www.chandlerchamber.com P.T. Barnum may have been a more wellk- nown master of marketing, but he had nothing on A.J. Chandler. As the Arizona territory’s first veterinary surgeon in 1887, Chandler parlayed the profits from his practice into a landholding known as the Chandler Ranch. In 1911, he divided the land into agricultural plots and advertised them for sale. Knowing that wherever celebrities went, others were sure to follow, Chandler built the San Marcos Hotel. This lavish golf course resort became a popular getaway for such early stars as Errol Flynn, Gloria Swanson, Fred Astaire, Al Capone and Herbert Hoover. Together, agriculture and tourism built Chandler into a thriving community. While both remain important contributors to its economic base, the open land that once drew farmers and ranchers is now a magnet for high-tech manufacturing companies, including Intel Corp, Motorola and Microchip Technology. The arrival of these companies fueled phenomenal popu- lation growth.

the community that is envisioned to include up to 3,500 homes offering a wide variety of residential styles, an additional K-8 elementary school and a variety of ameni- ties including indoor/outdoor centers, a 900-acre mountain preserve, recreational parks and trails, and retail components. An additional 320-acre commercial core will also be developed offering a modern and unique lifestyle center including a diverse culture of shopping, dining, recreation, education, entertainment and employment. Sun City Surprise Regional Chamber: 623-583-0692 surpriseregionalchamber.com A mid-day traffic jam in Sun City is like a traffic jam nowhere else. First, the jam will consist of no more than five vehicles. Secondly, the participants probably know each other by first name. And finally, they’re likely to involve street-legal golf carts. Stress-free “traffic jams” are part of the daily routine in this model retirement community by Del Webb that began in 1960. Webb picked an 8,900-acre plot in the Sonoran Desert that was just a half- hour drive from downtown Phoenix. Before

In 1980, Chandler had close to 30,000 resi- dents, it then skyrocketed to more than

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