Apache Junction Growing Economy Creates Opportunities

With the success of the growing supermarket segment in the community, the city of Apache Junction is poised to field interest in other development opportunities throughout the area.

The existing Fry’s Food store is relocating from its current location on the southwest corner of Apache Trail and Idaho to the northeast corner of the same intersection. The store will double in size from approximately 63,000 square feet to nearly 128,000 square feet and will expand its product offering to fit the Fry’s Marketplace model.

According to the website, Fry’s Marketplace store offerings include home fashion and décor, bed and bath, kitchen and small appliances, home office and toys. In addition to store space, there will be an opportunity for development of 28,000 square feet of retail space on the lot.

The city of Apache Junction has worked closely with the private sector to identify and expeditiously remove obstacles that might have hindered the development. Early on in the process, the city and the private landowner were able to work out a land exchange that enabled Fry’s and the Barclay Group, the commercial real estate firm involved in the deal, to assemble the land necessary for the new development. The city exchanged a small building that once housed the city library for a 3.5-acre blighted lot on North Apache Trail. The lot has since been developed into Flatiron Community Park, the city’s first downtown park and events venue. This newest investment has followed a number of local public investments made by the city since 2010 with the vision creating a pedestrian friendly downtown area residents can enjoy.

The new Fry’s Marketplace is a reflection of Apache Junction’s growing economy. Over the past 18 months, Apache Junction has seen two vacant big box stores be filled by local business expansions. In 2016, the local Shopper’s Supply outlet purchased and renovated the 30,000 square-foot space vacated by supermarket Food City. Then, Pet Club, an Arizona-based retailer, backfilled the vacated Shopper’s Supply location. The Fry’s relocation has created an opportunity for new infill in the city’s core downtown area. We invite commercial and residential developers alike to visit our Economic Development team and learn about this and many more development opportunities in our growing area.