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BUSINESS
THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 17, 2021
Chandler aims to grow municipal airport business BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
C
ity officials want to make one thing very clear: Don’t expect to see American or United planes landing at Chandler Airport. “When we think of airports, we think of Sky Harbor, we think of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway. We don’t think of small regional or general-aviation airports,” City Manager Joshua Wright said. “They’re not designed to be a passenger airport and that’s never been the plan for Chandler.” Wright said the airport will remain focused on business and executive travel only. To help it with that mission, the city is currently reviewing applications to manage the airport – the third busiest of its kind in the Valley. Deer Valley and
The city’s master plan for the Chandler Airport shows the location of existing facilities. (City of Chandler)
Mesa’s Falcon Field rank ahead of it. Wright said the need for the position became apparent after City Council reviewed its plan for the airport and the surrounding airpark last summer. “It comes from the Council’s … renewed commitment to growing the airport and the airpark area,” Wright said. “I think we’ve realized in the last few years it’s one of the last frontiers in terms of the growth of Chandler.” He said it is time for a higher level of leadership and management. The person hired will be responsible for the daily operations at the airport, as well as assisting with the development projects inside the airport’s fences. The city makes clear in its posting that it is looking for someone with economic development experience.
see AIRPORT page 29
Global café-bakery picks Chandler for 1st state foray ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
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café-bakery chain with more than 1,000 locations worldwide has picked Chandler for its first foray into Arizona. After eyeing the market for the past year, 85° C Bakery & Café has selected the growing Chandler Ranch at 1920 W. Chandler Blvd. near Dobson Road with the help of NewQuest Properties. A NewQuest spokesperson said the café signed a long-term lease for 3,555 sf in Chandler Ranch “after witnessing first-hand the strong attendance at 99 Ranch Market’s recent grand opening.” “85° C Bakery & Café knows the type of redevelopment we’re doing. The 99 Ranch opening was a shining example of the high demand in the Chandler market,” said Naoyuki Kondo, an associate with NewQuest Properties’ Asia-Pacific Retail team. The sweet shop will open in spring 2022. Another NewQuest tenant in Texas,
Somisomi Soft Serve & Taiyaki, also has jumped on board at Chandler Ranch. It will open in early 2022, backfilling 1,470 square feet previously occupied by Tao Healing. NewQuest’s Asia-Pacific Retail team is focused on assembling a destination mix of Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean and American restaurants and eclectic shopping experiences. Other businesses opening by year’s end include Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Uncle Lee’s Kitchen, Meet Fresh and Ramen Hood. “These are new-to-market brands, in many cases, that are well-known to people who’ve relocated or are visiting from California and Texas,” Kondo said. Heather Nguyen, development partner of the specialized group, is partnering with Kondo on Chandler Ranch’s leasing. They have been targeting new-to-market internationally recognized brands for the 117,565-square-foot redevelop-
see BAKERY page 30
85° C Bakery & Café is bringing its world famous operation to Chandler early next year.
(Special to the Arizonan)
