Peoria considers industrial development deal with farm family

Peoria is working with a prominent West Valley farming family to support plans to develop an industrial park on 328 acres spread over the city and Maricopa County. For that to happen, the city would have to support the family's plan to build a rail spur, an extension from the main Burlington Northern Santa Fe line along Grand Avenue, near Northern and 75th avenues. The extension would help attract industrial development in the area as it would offer the benefit of being able to transport cargo close to the business. The Rovey family owns the land and it's mainly open agricultural land used for their dairy operation south of Northern Avenue. Turning it into an industrial development would be "a huge opportunity" for the city, Scott Whyte, Peoria's economic development director, told the City Council at a meeting this week. If Peoria were to give its blessing to the proposal, which is slated to come before the council in January, the next step would be getting the Arizona Corporation Commission to sign off on the proposal.

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