GOODYEAR, AZ — Baseball is in the air all over the Valley with teams here for spring training.
In Goodyear, the city is trying to draw tourists there and hoping their future development will soon meet demand.
Thousands of people slid into Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday. The Cincinnati Reds faced off against the Cleveland Guardians, bringing in fans from all over the country.
“Yeah, we travel all around the greater Phoenix area and, whenever we get a chance, we’ll go out and find a brewery or find a place for dinner,” said Matt and Sue Jones, who were visiting from Ohio.
All that tourism, and all those dollars, is something Goodyear is trying to score. The city is setting lofty goals: create more shopping, restaurants, entertainment and hotels to attract more people to the West Valley.
The ballpark has only been around for 15 years, but it has been a home run for Goodyear.
“About 60% of our population that comes to these games… from out of state,” said Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo. “So I’m hoping, the goal is to keep everybody here as opposed to leaving the city.”
“I’ve lived kind of in the North Central Valley previously, and there is a lot of things that are still offered on the east side that just really aren’t out here,” said Beth Monick, a Goodyear resident.
Goodyear has seen exponential growth over the past few years. It is one of the top-growing cities in Arizona and the country. While the mayor says it is the West Valley’s time to shine, residents tell me they want smart growth.
“The congestion is definitely there and you feel it when out-of-towners are here, so I think really, the City of Goodyear needs to make sure that they’re doing both: growing the attractions and the infrastructure,” said Monick.
