Mohave County, Az. growth Report !

A California-based company is planning a 380,000-square-foot commercial center on 37 acres in the northwest Arizona community of Golden Valley.

Westar Development's Aztec Business Center is proposed three miles north of the thousands of homes Las Vegas developer Jim Rhodes hopes to build in the master-planned community of Pravada.

Westar founder AJ Dudheker believes Golden Valley residents already are under-served by the commercial sector and that thousands of future customers will be delivered through the Pravada project and by the Hoover Dam bypass Colorado River bridge that will more conveniently link Southern Nevada and Arizona.

"The owner feels strongly that the existing population can support, and is in dire need of, the services and conveniences offered by this proposal but currently unavailable to the residents of Golden Valley," stated a project application filed with the Mohave County Planning and Zoning Commission.

"Furthermore, the owner anticipates that the residential development of the Pravada master-planned community, by Rhodes Homes Arizona, will increase the need for such services and facilities," it stated.

The mixed-use project entails general commercial activity on 16 acres along the Aztec Road western boundary of the property.

"We're going to have a gas station with a car wash and a convenience store in that area," Dudheker said. "We're going to have a pharmacy pad, a bank pad, some office and retail, fast-food and restaurants."

Twenty-one acres on the eastern end of the property bordered by Heber Road is intended for light industrial uses for such things as warehouse, distribution and auto repair service. Dudheker said subcontractors involved with Pravada can use space to store product and equipment.

Dudheker said construction activity and the business center will provide jobs and tax base.

He said it's his company's first foray into Arizona and he's aware that the Rhodes project and other developments have encountered opposition from some worried about water supply and others who wish to preserve a rural lifestyle.

"No matter the project, you're always going to have a few people who don't see it your way," Dudheker said. "But, with the current economic situation, growth is important to us and that area."

The Business Center comes before the Planning and Zoning Commission Aug. 13. Dudheker said initial construction activity is expected the first quarter of next year.