The Heart of Goodyear Officially Opens

Monday marked the beginning of even greater things to come for Goodyear, the nation’s 9th fastest-growing city, and the entire West Valley.  City and state leaders, developers and residents gathered to celebrate the opening of Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ. The vision to build a true heart of the city – a place to gather for events such as festivals, concerts and parades — dates back to the 1980s. That vision is now a reality.

“Today has been a long time coming,” said Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo. “We are committed to growing our city in a meaningful way, and this project is a great example of that goal. We look forward to sharing many exciting announcements in the near future about the businesses that are coming. This truly is a great time to be in Goodyear!”

In addition to a new library, park and city hall, Goodyear Civic Square includes highly desired upscale office space, which will also attract high-quality jobs and space for new restaurants, shopping and entertainment.


“Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ is a true point of pride for our community,” said Goodyear City Manager Julie Karins. “It is so much more than a city hall. It’s a place where family and friends will gather to enjoy community events with a hometown feel, and where residents will soon be able to eat, play, live and work in a true mixed-use development. Civic square is a legacy project that generations of Goodyear residents will enjoy.”

Goodyear Civic Square came to fruition thanks to an incredible public-private partnership between the city and Globe Corporation. Globe donated some of the land to build the project and is working to develop the land surrounding it to create what will eventually be. The city and Globe are proud to deliver such an amazing project on-time and within budget. Additionally, there were no new taxes or increased taxes to construct this project.

“My family bought a section of farmland in Goodyear back in the 1970s,” said Globe Corporation president and Co-CEO George Getz. “It’s hard to believe that what once was a scallion farm has become the heart of the city. We have donated a portion of that land to the city to create Goodyear Civic Square, a place where people will congregate, live, shop and play. It brings me so much joy to be able to create a sense of community in this space. It’s a dream come true. I know that sounds cliché, but never would we have envisioned this. I’m confident Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ will rival any other city, and I’m thrilled to think about what this future downtown area will become in the years ahead.”

Civic square includes several unique design elements with the community in mind:

  • Two-acre Park includes built-in games like ping pong and chess, a stage, color-changing art that captures the Goodyear spirit (words on the sculpture were submitted by residents to describe Goodyear), an iconic Goodyear sign with six-foot tall letters at the entrance, bench swings and lighted walking paths leading to the beautiful Bullard Wash Park.
  • Georgia T. Lord Library named after the late Mayor Lord, includes a treehouse-themed children’s area designed by the creators of projects for Disney and Universal Studios, a self-serve café, a grand staircase with seating, enclosed outside patio, a teen room and space for small business owners and entrepreneurs to meet for workshops.
  • City Hall includes the departments and services that residents and businesses use under one roof. This centralized location makes it convenient to get the business done that you need to with the city!

“It was an honor for Ryan Companies to collaborate with the city of Goodyear and its partners in delivering a trailblazing space for community members to come together,” said Ryan Companies Southwest Region president Chuck Carefoot. “Our design and construction teams brought an innovative approach in providing a modern setting that will allow local government to operate, be a resource for residents and to serve as a gathering area for community celebration. The Ryan team looks forward to seeing the city thrive in this state-of-the-art space that will be a focal point in their community.”